


THE ALPHA TIMELINE

by Sh33tMeDead336



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Cannibalism, Character Death, Crime, Crushes, Death, Deception, Destruction, Doom, Drinking, Dubious Consent, Echotale, Enemies to Friends, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Graphic descriptions, HorrorTale, Humour, I hope this is funny, I'm a joke, Jokes, LV, M/M, Muffet is just there for some extra fluff, Multiple Endings, Murder, Near Death Experiences, Pansexual Reader - Freeform, Possessiveness, Reader is the textbook definition of apathetic at this point, S L O W B U R N, Self Care, Self destruction, Sexual tention, Swapfell Purple, Underfell, Underlust, Violence, a n g s t, and tea purposes, certain characters are added later, closeted sweetheart red, crushing of your will too live, cuteness, depends from person to person, doing my best to avoid cliches, dusting, embracing each others flaws, enimies to friends to lovers, especially to Toriel, fellswap, frisk still controls the timeline, g green lust and passion aren't introduced until later, hook-ups, hopefully that doesn't count as a spoiler, is this enough tags yet?, learning to love yourself, lol, lol nope, lots of fighting, lots of heavy subjects, lots of loving to go around it just takes forever to get there, mature - Freeform, medium/fastburn with muffet only, no ending for Muffet, or without one, please let me know if i'm doing well lol, plot moves super slowly, polygamous, possibly more characters added later if i feel up to it, puns, reader can and will fight you, reader can be a bit of a dick, reader can be an arsehole, reader has eaten monsters before, reader is aggressive at times, reader is from the horrortale universe, reader is inclined to fight everyone, reader will flirt with anything with a pulse, reloads, saves, slight reader/muffet because yummy, slowburn, things get worse before they get better, underswap - Freeform, undertale - Freeform, vote me #1 angst writer 2020, winging this shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2020-06-25 10:10:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 42
Words: 158,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19743544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sh33tMeDead336/pseuds/Sh33tMeDead336
Summary: You're from the Horrortale universe.A universe where everyone has suffered-including your favourite skeleton brothers.You were merely 15 when you fell to the underground-a lot has changed in the four years you've been there. Somehow, along the way, you'd convinced the butcher himself to not slice you into mince meat, and even moved in with them at some point. Nowadays, you spend your time struggling to survive WITH the skeletons, rather than against them (thank god).Though things are about to take a drastic turn. You thought one pair of skeletons was strange enough- try 8 for size.





	1. THIS IS HOME

**Author's Note:**

> The underground is a freak show-everyone is starving, and hell is their reality. Y/n and the skeleton brothers are just trying to make the best of it, because that is their home.

How long had it been? It was hard to keep track of just how long you'd been trapped down here underground-each day felt like an eternity, struggling to survive with your new 'family'.

Sans and Papyrus-they had been let down so many times previous. It was hard to believe people so broken and bent out of shape could have once been so full of hope. Hard to imagine a time where Papyrus' teeth weren't badly misshapen, a time where Sans' didn't live with the constant _itch_ from the hole broken in through his skull-a time where monsters weren't left to **starve.**

It was strange to wake up in the comfort of your bed with only the sound of Papyrus downstairs in the kitchen to remind you that you were, indeed, alive. That you had made it this far.  
You were fifteen when a mere misstep had sent you spiralling down to the depths of hell. It'd been near four years since that day-two years in which you had started living with the skeleton brothers.

Originally you had merely planned to simply escape this hell by taking the life of a monster and leaving through the barrier-but something kept you here. A something that eats at the back of your mind-at your soul.  
Was it pity? Was it Justice? Was it Kindness?

Either way, you were **determined** to survive.  
That and you also knew there was no way you'd make it past the queen alive. So you laid low. Sure, you had to fight to survive as much as any other monster here-if not more so with no place of residence. You constantly put up with Papyrus' shenanigans (as amusing as his puzzles and traps tended to be), and were constantly being hunted by Sans' himself, in the end it all went to show just what someone was capable of when they needed to survive.  
It was worth it, you guess. Because here you were-yet again, waking up underneath the thick woollen blanket knitted by the one and only (Papyrus), on top of the bed handcrafted for you especially also by Papyrus, tucked away in the corner opposite of his own race car bed. In all honesty, you'd have to say your own bed was much nicer than his own-perhaps because it was newer. The race car bed's once cherry red colour had begun to chip and fade, and Papyrus' inhumanely lanky legs hung over the edges. It looked rather uncomfortable, though Papyrus insisted that it was fine (it was not). 

You wished to get them out of this hell. Though you were just one person-one human. All of the other human souls were gone-just one would make no difference, and considering you had been here almost four years and every human that had ever fallen was eaten-it was unlikely you'd be able to collect another 7 in your lifetime.  
You wished there was more you could do-there **had** to be something you could do-though as time dragged on hope began to fade.  
Just as it had for everyone else.  
For now, all you could hope to do is help keep each other alive-and if possible, distract your two housemates of the reality that is the hell they live in. 

You usually got up much earlier than this-the same time Papyrus did. Even Sans was awake at this point. Though these past couple days you've had a lingering heavy feeling that's settled in the pit of your stomach.  
Papyrus concluded that you must be sick ("Y/N! You Must Be Sick! You Humans Are Very Fragile After All! Off To Bed Now!") and Sans merely hummed in agreement. You weren't. At least you didn't think you were.  
Something was _off_ -that was all.

With a splitting headache flicking at the inside of your skull, you threw your legs off and over your bed. Wobbling at first, you soon made sense of your surroundings and shuffled over to the bedroom door, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes as you tread downstairs. 

"Y/n! I Am Glad That You Have Chosen To Join Us Sometime Today," your snicker was muffled by the hand rubbing at your eyes, "How Are You Feeling?"

" 'm good Paps, feeling better than ever. What's been happening?" 

"Cleaned out the traps already-got a bit of carnage to clean out, but ya can do that later," A particularly gruff rumbled instead of Papyrus' usual warm one-Sans. 

"Right," Shuffling past Papyrus, you gave him a short but not lacking warmth, hug, before collapsing on the couch. It was a tacky vomit green colour that was shredded at the seams as this point, though you had seemed to warm up to it at this point. Familiarity probably.  
These days everyone here seemed to cling to the things that reminded of them of home-of where they were safe, because they all knew it would never last. Nothing ever did.

You didn't need to pry open your eyes to know the soothingly cold phalanges running through your hair belonged to Sans. The pair seemed enamoured with it, probably because they themselves didn't have any. Luckily you were always a rather laid-back individual and tended to just go with things. Perhaps it was because of those tendencies that you learnt to adapt easily to this much harsher environment.  
Though as easy going as you are, you were a much different individual from the one that first escaped through the Ruin door.  
You had hardened, changed. At one point it had begun so difficult to look at yourself in the mirror that you had to start forcing yourself to. You needed to learn to live with your decisions, you wouldn't ever let regret or guilt control you.

You did what you **had** to. They **all** did. 

"Well Then, I Will Be Cleaning Out The Shed, Come Get Me When You Are Ready To Recalibrate Our Traps!"

Popping your head up and resting it on the back of the couch, you gave Papyrus a tired grin, "Sure thing. See you there." Papyrus paused, merely staring at you for a few seconds in thought, before giving you his own very welcoming grin. With a hum of approval, he spun on the heel of his squeaky red boots and strode out the door into the bite of the cold. 

"You sure your better peaches?" Eyes rolling over in your sockets to instead give Sans a curious look, you shifted to turn to better face him, "Just a sick human ain't a very useful human, ya know?"

"Sure," you snort, "but yeah- 'm good." 

Sans grinned. Usually any kind of expression from someone such as Sans would be unnerving, you couldn't even remember what you originally thought of the skeletons appearances, though at this point you had become so adjusted to the warped condition of the people here that you had forgotten anything different. Other than yourself, of course. Couple scars here and there, maybe a chipped tooth or two and an ankle that never properly healed and now stung if you pressed down too hard (although not too hard to ignore), though you were in considerably better condition than everyone else.  
You had learnt to take you scars in pride nowadays, tended to act as symbols of warning against anyone who may possess ill intent against you-which was originally everyone considering your species and the constant hunger gnawing at monster's insides. Overtime you had slowly become less of a target and rather someone who was off limits ("Oi, that's the Butchers property, you hear? Best stay away if you don't want to lose your head.")  
Though the imminent threat never disappeared completely. Regardless, you were grateful for all you could get. 

Having once again gotten lost in your thoughts, you were abruptly pulled out of them when a certain skeletons skull fell against your shoulder. Jumping, you huffed out a laugh at Sans hearty snores. As much as you'd have liked to simply join right in and start an evening long nap session like many times previous, you at things to do and places to be.  
Cleaning the shed would be a piece of cake for Papyrus, and you had no doubt he would be near done, if not completely finished already. Best not keep him waiting, you had concluded.  
Nudging Sans' skull off and resting it on the arm rest of the couch, you wandered back upstairs to your joined room with Papyrus to change into more appropriate clothing for this kind of work. 

As you had previously anticipated, Papyrus had indeed finished cleaning and was waiting patiently for you. Wandering inside you were greeted with the same aluminium walls that had made your bedroom the first few months you had come under the wing of the skeleton brothers (Sans having refused to allow a human to sleep under the same roof as their own-for safety precautions).  
You can still remember the feeling of the chill of the concrete pressing against you that was so obviously stained with blood.  
It was obvious what had happened in this shed, especially considering what they had originally tried doing to you the first few years of your stay underground. You had sooner discussed the whole matter-however briefly, though they seemed rather 'rattled', when you had appeared so unbothered with the entire concept. (You later explained that you couldn't judge someone over actions needed to survive, they wholeheartedly understood). 

Neither of the two of you needed to speak, rather you simply both collected whatever items required and you followed behind Papyrus towards the Ruin doors, where the first of the traps were laid out. By now you were well acquainted with the routine and knew what needed to be done. When you both arrived at the Ruin's door, Papyrus would recalibrate all the traps to the left portion of the forest, whilst you would take the right and you both would work back towards Snowdin.  
It would take you both an hour, maybe less.

Papyrus, and you too usually, would have already swept by here early this morning to check all of the traps to ensure nobody stole anything that might have been caught and came by later to reset all of them. Though occasionally something was caught after Papyrus' sweep and that's what prolonged the task-usually rabbits and other small rodents that had fallen long ago from the surface world and repopulated here underground. Though occasionally you would find something bigger, perhaps a racoon or some other small animal that had somehow made its way passed the Ruins. 

A sharp click brought your attention towards a trap over in the distance. With a pleased grin tugging at your lips you moved towards the sound with the obvious assumption that it must have caught some sort of animal whilst you wearily moved to avoid traps you knew where placed out. Well, that was your assumption until the muffled whimper hit your cold ears. Pulling your hoodie down to further cover your ears you picked up your pace to find whoever the hell was dumb enough to get caught in one of the traps. 

Sure enough, you found some yellow kid lacking any arms with its right leg bent out of shape and trapped between the claws of a bear trap previously buried in the snow.  
Papyrus must have missed that one, though it was spread out deeper into the forest than the others and appeared to be quite old.  
Very possible that it wasn't his at all, and rather some other monsters trap left out to catch something. Though you doubted monster kid, the town rascal was quite what they were hoping for. Trying to eat a monster was a particularly gruesome and strenuous job you had come to learn.  
However, you also weren't a fan of bestowing unfortunate fates upon children, however...problematic, that kid may be. 

"MK," you greeted, seeing the crunch of snow caused by your footfalls had apparently not alerted him of your presence. His head (that was previously gnawing at the beartrap desperately) snapped upwards towards you. He narrowed a crazed glare at you despite the eye full of pained tears collecting in his eyes.

" _human_ ," he hissed in such a way that implied as if you were the source of all his problems. Honestly you were a little surprised the kid was alive at this point. Having no arms was a serious disability, and weaker monsters like him were mostly picked off in the first year or two of this famine, according to Sans, anyhow. 

You crouched down to an eye level with him, one glance was enough to let him know that you meant business, whimpering, he avoided your gaze and looked away, muffling a whimper as your fingers met with the broken scales pressed against metal. 

Shit. You shifted in your position without moving the trap to further inspect where his leg was trapped. By the looks of it, he had gotten it snagged in the beartrap, and then in attempts to escape, had broken his leg in the process. The more you eyed the _large_ amount of bloody dust gushing from his leg, the more it seemed he wouldn't be walking away with both his legs. Or walking away at all.

Eyes flickering up to the boy in stripes, you briefly considered if it would be more merciful to simply put the boy out of his misery now. If you ended up having to cut off the leg, there was no chance he would be living much longer. It would be easy, Papyrus wasn't that far away, he'd go and get Sans and he would finish the job.  
You probably could too, but the longer you eyed the monster, you realised just how much you'd prefer not to. Not while you had other options. 

In the meantime, you needed to get that shit off of his leg.  
"Mm, this is gonna hurt like shit kid," you warned to which he turned his head to look at you, already wiping the falling tears from his face. 

"J-Just get me, get my leg out, please?" He begged, "Will it-how much will it hurt?"

"A fucking lot," you replied honestly, which only worsened the kids quiet crying, "You might want to bite onto something." From the corner of your eye you watched him tilt his head towards his shoulder and bite tightly on his faded yellow stripped jumper. You already knew this would hurt from experience. It's how you hurt your own ankle, actually, though it seemed you were much more fortunate than this kid was.  
"Ready?" He shook his head no. With a sigh, you ignored his panicked whimpers as you pressed your fingers against either side of the metal jaws ready to pry the ancient thing open, "Alright, count to three with me, okay?"

".... okay."

" **one,** " you spoke in unison, "two..."  
You didn't bother to get to three when you ripped open the metal jaws, roughly pulling them out of the way and throwing it at least a foot away over in the snow.

"arGHHH!" Monster kid shrieked, falling over on his back and desperately clutching his mutilated leg, "Help! Please! it hurts so BAD- IT HURTS S **O BAD!** " he screamed, the red sprinkled with silver dust gushed from the boy’s leg, and you leaped over to him on your hands and knees. already pulling apart the ends of your tattered black hoodie to instead wrap around the wound.  
You had no doubt that Papyrus had heard the screaming from wherever he was, you wouldn't even need the practically inhumane hearing sense he possessed to hear the fuss the boy was putting up.  
Not that you could blame him, now having a better look, there was no way he was keeping his leg. As you hurriedly wrapped the partially severed leg whilst avoiding the boys thrashing, you could hear the light thumping of boots sprinting through the snow-Papyrus, undoubtedly.  
Though you glanced back just to make sure..

"Y/N? Are You Alright?"

"Yeah Paps, kid got caught in some bear trap," you quickly explained, eyes never leaving the boys leg as Papyrus fell to his knees beside you to hold the boy down as you worked.  
The following minutes could have easily been mistaken as hours, though you knew all too well that it was mere minutes as MK fell unconscious from the blood loss.

It was silent for all but a minute, "We're going to have to cut it off," you informed Papyrus quietly, but from his observing gaze, you had no doubt he already knew that. 

"Yes...It Would Appear Now Would Be The Best Time....While He Is Unconscious." 

"We could leave it to his parents?" you suggested, having noticed his hesitancy, but he merely shook his head.

"No, He'll Have Dusted By Then If We Leave Him In This Condition."

You frowned, but nodded, standing up to sit on the other side of the boy in preparation for what was to come. You could only hope he didn't wake up.

\----

You had since dropped MK off to his parents-still unconscious (thankfully).  
Upon opening the door, you had gotten to see their expressions of first confusion, then shock, then dread morph onto their faces all at once. Papyrus had briefly explained what had happened, before they had taken the boy and shut the door on your faces.  
Whatever. Neither of you did if for the thanks. 

Either way, the previous events left the both of you in a sombre mood. Despite, you still had work to do. You had both encountered scenarios like this countless times before, but time waited for no man, and everyday chores still had to be done.  
The both of you walked back to your previous position in silence, as you occasionally glanced up at Papyrus, wondering if a change in topic was required. Though it seemed somebody beat you too it. 

"Sans?" Papyrus questioned, the two of you now halted in your spots, "What Are You Doing Here? Not That I'm Not Happy-"

" **The barriers broken.** "

The two of you seemed to freeze alike the frozen wasteland around you-everything stilled, even the wind and sound itself seemed to have disappeared. "The, Barrier...Is.... **broken?** " Papyrus spoke quietly, missing the usual fortitude in his voice. Sans nodded quietly in reply, seemingly in shock himself. As if he could hardly believe the words that just left his mouth just as much as the two of you. 

After a moment of silent contemplation, Papyrus spun on his heel, before scooping you up in his arms much like how one would with a baby, shifting your weight to just one singular arm, redirecting his pace to Sans where he proceeded to tuck him firmly under his spare arm before marching off in the direction towards the barrier.  
The journey there was swift and silent. No one dared utter a word as Papyrus- unfazed with the weight of the two of you, essentially sprinted by any humans’ standards, out of Snowdin, into waterfall, and so on.  
The underground was busy- busier than you had ever seen it. Everyone was out of their homes, bags and boxes in their arms as they scurried away in the same direction as you. The more people you passed, the more you were convinced the barrier, was in fact, broken.  
You had never seen so many monsters out and about without a single conflict.  
You briefly wondered if this was what the underground was like before the famine. 

Eyes eventually beginning to hurt from the blur of everything as Papyrus picked up his pace in assumingly eagerness to reach the surface, they instead drop to look at Sans-who was already staring at you. The short skeleton's permanent grin seemed to stretch wider than you had ever previously seen it, and a toothy grin of your own spread across your features as you both stared silently at each other. 

You were making it out.  
The barrier had _broken._  
Sans and Papyrus, they would _finally_ get to see the stars you had so desperately tried to describe to them. Get to see the world you had so often told them about, **promised** you would show them if you so ever got the chance. 

Despite the obvious eagerness that Sans carried in his grin, there was also a large amount of anxiousness that seemed to weigh in his sockets and pull at the ends of his grin. Something like worry- like fear.  
Your heart sunk, and you could only imagine what it must be like for them. For you- you had an idea what might happen to you, but to them?  
No, now you were only making yourself worried.  
They would be fine right?  
With a firm glance to met Sans' gaze, you swallowed your rising nerves.  
Right.  
Everything would be okay.  
Reaching out, you held out your hand to reach for Sans' own. His eye lights flickered down to your own fingers, before tugging his arm out of his pocket, phalanges slipping comfortably in-between your own with a tight squeeze. 

They would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to check out my Tumblr!  
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/sh33tmedead336 - Officially started as of chapter 28 :)
> 
> Hey. Wanna see something cool? Check this out:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0 


	2. NOT ANYMORE

What the?

Where the hell were you? 

Where was...

Where was Papyrus? Where was Sans?

Your eyes darted around the dark...room?  
Were you...? Were you in back in the shed? 

Shadows clung to the walls of the room, your butt and back ached from the weird angle you were laying in, you groaned as you forced yourself to sit upwards, eyes still adjusting to the darkness and shoulders drooping from some unknown heaviness.  
You felt.... **exhausted.**

You jumped slightly in surprised when you felt two sturdy arms twitch against your side. You twisted to turn to see behind you, only to find Papyrus passed out, arms loosely held onto either side of you as you laid sprawled between his legs. To his left was Sans, sound asleep, snoring loudly, skull tucked snugly on Papyrus' rising and falling ribs. 

Seeing Sans asleep was no surprise- but Papyrus? He must have hit his head pretty badly getting.... wherever you are. Papyrus must have cushioned your fall-hence why you were awake, and they weren't.  
By now your eyes had adjusted, leaving you to inspect the room in silence.  
It was definitely someone's basement- seeing as the room was made entirely of concrete and lacked any windows. It might have been cold, but you had long since adjusted to the freezing temperatures of Snowdin and had built a tolerance. 

Shifting in your spot, you turn on your knees to instead gently wake Papyrus. You couldn't tell how big this place was and didn't want to go wandering around in the dark and leave the two unguarded. "Paps?" You spoke, quieter than usual as you glanced around for any signs of life. You didn't have quite the same ability to tell when somebody else was in your proximity like Sans and Papyrus, but you'd like to think you'd picked up a few things. Your shake grew slightly firmer as he didn't even stir- which was even odder, Papyrus was a light sleeper after all.  
So was Sans, even though he pretended not to be. You all were, actually. 

Frowning, you decided your next option was to find a light switch. You only hoped it was close by- you really didn't want to leave them alone. You'd sit there in the dark with them until they woke up if you had too.  
Standing to your feet, you found it took you a second to find your balance, holding your arms up in the air to stay steady before cautiously meandering over to the wall furthest from you, hands searching the wall for any sort of lump that might indicate a light switch.  
Your eyebrows began to furrow in annoyance as you stumbled over some stray item for the sixth time and without finding a light switch- aha!

The LED lights flickered on with a quiet hum, illuminating the room. With a pleased hum, your gaze instantly searched for your favourite pair of brothers, and steadily marched over to them to check on their condition. In this light you could see them better and walked over to side of Papyrus where Sans wasn't, to tenderly pick up his skull and place it in your lap to check for any sins of injury. You repeated the same with Sans for safe measure. 

In a significantly better mood now having determined that they were both fine, you made your new goal to figure out where the hell you were.  
Now that you could see the room you were in, you found that the basement wasn't all too big. Big definitely by regular basement standards, but not big enough that you couldn't see from end to end. In fact, it appeared you were placed right in front of some large machine. There were no lights or sounds coming from it, but for some odd reason you could still hear it's whirring ringing in your head. Perhaps it was on while you were unconscious?

There appeared to not be any kind of imminent danger-though you would like to know who brought you here. Last thing you remembered was....the barrier.  
The barrier had **broken.**  
Monsters were **free.**

So why were you.... here?  
Was this some sort of test? A game?  
Your eyes flickered down to the skeleton brothers, to Papyrus' sharp teeth and the razor edge of the shattered part of Sans' skull. To the dull colour of each other clothing that once would have been light and lively colours now stained with dirt and blood-never mind the fact they were practically in ruins as well.  
Looking down at the brothers you felt the same sense of needing to protect them swell in your chest that you had so commonly felt back underground-or, still underground?  
You still weren't sure if you were on the surface or not.  
You had been to Sans' basement before- seen a machine eerily similar to the one behind you now, but this certainly wasn't Sans' basement. 

In a final attempt to wake the boys up, you clapped in the space between their skulls. Well, at least Sans twitched.  
Standing up, you decided to inspect the mess that littered the room, eyeing the charts hung up on the walls, and shifting idly through paperwork sprawled across cheap metal benches. From the corner of the room you could see the stairs, knew that you would find more answers up there, but were hesitant for obvious reasons.  
As your search went on, it was beginning to look more and more like your only option. You didn't want to be here without any sort of weapon for when whoever put you here got back. You knew for a fact that you were competent in fighting but knew all too well it was better to be safe than sorry.  
That and whoever brought you here had caught you unaware, knocked you out, and put you in (presumably) their basement-obviously someone who was very capable. You felt very uncomfortable being this vulnerable-this unaware.

Sans began to grumble, and hope swelled in your chest, only for you to deflate when he settled right back asleep. Rolling your eyes, you ruffled your own hair, before covering up the mess on your head with your hoodie. After the events of this morning (or rather, a little after lunch), your hoodie was now in a state of ruin- if that was even possible considering its previous condition. All of your clothing already had several small tears and holes, all of the larger ones having simply been sewn back together (Usually by Papyrus, who was constantly looking for things to help either you or Sans with). 

You would definitely have to get a new hoodie at this point, though you didn't bother taking it off just yet, savouring your last few moments with the familiar material. The cotton was warm, probably from the snuggle huddle the three of your found yourselves in just a moment ago, and still smelt strongly of each brother and your home.

Jolted out of your thoughts (-and your skin) by a loud bang pounding against metal, your body did a sharp spin to face the direction of the stairs, where the source of the sound had come from. Somebody was obviously upstairs, making a quick decision, you raced over to Papyrus and Sans, crouching over them defensively, but in a position that hid the three of you from a distance as you had no time to move them to somewhere better.

A pair of footsteps began to descend the stairs and your eyes flickered over towards the nearest benches for something sharp, you briefly wondered if you should hide somewhere closer to catch them by surprise. At this point it was too late, despite the casual pace of their decent downstairs and laid-back tone of conversation.  
The nonchalance in the way they acted seemed almost as if they didn't know of your presence- either that or they simply didn't care.  
Which would then imply this wouldn't have been the first time they had brought someone here....

You were pretty sure you were looking too far into things, but your heart was racing at a thousand miles an hour trying to make sense of this new situation you'd been thrown into whilst simultaneously keeping the skeleton brothers safe. 

"Yeah, I really had to _step_ up my game," a baritone voice that sounded eerily like Sans' chuckled along with some other higher pitched voice-obviously at some joke that you had missed the first part of. 

"Hey, did we leave the lights on?"

shit.

"Huh, don't believe we did bud'," The Sans-sound-alike spoke, you didn't need to duck up from your crouched position behind a metal table on the opposite side of the room to know he was cautiously inspecting the room. "Anyone else here?"

All was silent, and you prayed to whatever god above that may exist that Sans didn't decide to start sleep talking again. 

"Hm, Maybe Red or someone had come down here earlier?" 

"Yeah probably."

The footsteps continued to approach, and you realised there was a likely chance that whatever they were doing here likely involved the machine behind you. Well, at least you now knew that they had nothing to do with why you guys were here. Now to knock them out.

You didn't know if they were a threat yet or not but couldn't allow them to leave with Sans and Papyrus still unconscious here. You shifted and quickly shot across the room all in a half-crouched sprint, thankful that the tables where tall and had plenty of boxes stuffed underneath them to keep you hidden. Whoever these (presumably) men were, would soon discover Papyrus and Sans, and in their shock, you could hopefully knock them out. 

Not a second later, you heard the tell-tale sound of someone sucking in air, "What the-"

"Another pair?" 

"Guess so,” the higher pitched voice replied. 

Well. They sounded awfully nonchalant about all of this. Also, 'another pair'?  
So, they did know why you guys were here at the very least. Though it sounds like they weren't expecting you. Perhaps they knew who brought you here?  
Either way you had questions and one way or another-they were going to answer them. 

"Welp, guess we better-" You noticed the shorter of the two (in a jacket very similar to Sans') bend over as if to reach for them, and purely out of instinct you threw yourself out of your hiding place behind them, a near inhumane growl rippling from your throat.  
(A growl that you had jokingly taught yourself to do with Sans' guidance, but somehow managed to master). 

The pair jumped, whipping around to face you in their own defensive stances. Both looked equally surprised to see you- though you were even more so.  
Standing in front of you, were _Sans and Papyrus._  
Though not the skeleton brothers you knew, no, a different set. The Sans-look-a-like could have easily passed as the Sans you imagined Sans was before the whole- _incident,_ though 'Papyrus', was significantly shorter than your own (though still very tall in his own right), once again in a more 'spick and span' condition than your own (you had to force your eyes away from his teeth- seeing teeth so straight on him felt...unnatural?), but also dressed _very_ differently from your own Papyrus.  
You don't think you had ever seen Papyrus in a hoodie, let alone trackpants, ever. 

A stunned silence had settled in the room, as both skeletons seemingly appraised you, while you stood defensively, snarl still resting on your face as you calculated your next move. You hadn't realised just how close they had gotten to your skeletons and were very uncomfortable with the lack of distance between them.  
The 'Papyrus' in the burnt orange hoodie seemed to notice your line of focus and must have strung a few thoughts together, as he leaned over towards 'Sans' to whisper something to him, before idly grabbing onto the material of his sleeve and gently tugging him away from the sleeping skeletons.  
Your eyes never strayed from the imposers, but you quickly scurried over to your skeletons once the other two had moved a satisfactory distance.

"So, a human huh? This is new." You eyed 'Papyrus' warily, crouching down behind Sans so that you could simultaneously see your skeletons and the imposters at the same time. "Unless you’re their version of Frisk? Though you don't look like them."

"Nobody else was pulled through either," 'Sans' noted.

You eyed the two for a moment, neither appeared to show any signs of hostility, but this whole situation was putting you on edge, "Listen, Buddy, I'm not sure who the hell either of you are, why you look like- ARE, Sans and Papyrus, but somebody better tell me what the hell is going on, before I get impatient."

"Woah, Pal, no need to be so aggressive," 'Sans' raised his hands in the air defensively, though it didn't hide the light blue sweat trickling down his skull, "We'll tell you everything, yeah?"  
You didn't answer, rather waited quietly for them to continue.

"You’re in an Alternate universe," 'Papyrus' continued for 'Sans', "We're versions of your own Papyrus and Sans, both of us are from different universes ourselves-you following?" You merely nodded.

"Well, the reason you guys are here," 'Sans' cut in, "Is several of the universes in the multiverse, have drifted alarmingly close to the original, my one. Because of this, each universe temporarily overlaps as they passed through each other, meaning several people from that universe are generally taken from their own and dumped here."

You took a minute to fully comprehend the information given to you, squinting at the two in thought before glancing down briefly as Papyrus- your papyrus, shifted underneath you in his sleep. Both were beginning to become unsettled, and you could tell they would wake up very soon. "So, what your saying is, that we've been taken from our own universe, and instead dumped into your own- the original?"  
The both merely nodded. "Why versions of yourself specifically?"

"It's not just us, usually people taken are monsters with a high...capacity, for magic. This occasionally includes mages- you know what those are, right?"  
You nodded, having lived underground long enough to know monster's hatred for those who had trapped them underground. "Which would mean that you’re also a mage-" you furrowed your eyebrows to disagree with 'Sans', "Or possibly just in very close range to those two. Usually several other monsters from the underground would also have been pulled in along with them, though we can only assume their magic levels must have all been low at the time, for some reason."

You had an idea why. You already knew in detail of the process starvation had on monsters. 

"Guessing you know these two then?" 'Papyrus' spoke.

"Yup." You cautiously stood from you position, having determined that they were at the very least, not an immediate threat, and instead approached at a hesitant pace to shake the hand 'Papyrus' offered you. His own hand near slipped into your own, when you felt another place itself firmly on your shoulder and pull you back firmly but gently.  
Stumbling, you find that your Sans now stood defensively in front of you, hand raised in the air to summon an attack.

"Stay behind me Y/n," Sans spoke seriously, the glow from the blue flame the ignited in his eye illuminating the inside of his skull that was visible from the gaping hole.  
The imposters dodged the first row of bone attacks, and you yet again feel another bony hand on you, as your Papyrus' arms slipped around your torso to pick you up and hold you against his own chest gently. 

"Y/n, Where Exactly Are We? If This Is The Surface, It Is Not Exactly As I Pictured..." You snickered before twisting your neck to watch the fight, where the imposters were frantically trying to get your Sans to calm down.  
They better not hurt him.

"In an alternate universe, apparently."

"Nyeh Heh Heh," Papyrus laughed dryly, "Now Is Definitely An Appropriate Time For Jokes," he deadpanned.

You raised an eyebrow and merely grinned, " 'M not joking. Those two really are you and Sans man. Ask 'em yourself."

Papyrus appraised you briefly, before sighing and hoisting you to instead sit on the side of his chest, "SANS!"

All three froze, especially the two actually named Sans. Your Sans, socket still ablaze with blue fire, shortcutted over to the two of you, standing on an angle that still faced the two imposters but also let you know you had his attention. "Yeah bro?" Sans grinned manically, sweat beating on the back of his skull.

"Enough Battle! It Appears...Other Us? Have Some Explaining To Do."

"But b-"

"NO BUTS! You two!" The two other skeletons in the room flinched from the sudden redirection of his voice, "Please Explain To Us What Exactly Is Going On?" 

\----

Sans was the hardest to convince that you were actually in an alternate universe, Papyrus seemed a tad sceptical and frankly, so were you, but at this point- there really were no other logical explanations. Apparently, it was midday here on a Wednesday, and as such- no one was home. You also very quickly learnt you were on the surface, to which you now found yourself in the front yard alongside your skeletons, enjoying the sunlight. 

You could only imagine what it must feel like to have the sunshine down on your bones for the very first time after living in what was essentially darkness your entire life. The grin that stretched across Papyrus' face and the pure amount of content that Sans so desperately tried to hide suddenly made everything worth it.  
The three of you sat among the grass whilst 'Stretch' and 'Original Sans' watched warily from the porch (you could feel their gazes flickering back and forth from the three of you).  
Despite the obvious suspicion the two held against you three, you let yourself enjoy this moment just as much as Sans and Papyrus. Stretch and ‘The Original’ already informed you that all the other little details would be settled later, once the rest of the household arrived-for now, you were free to do as you pleased, well, at least sit outside.  
You had a feeling that you wouldn’t actually be allowed to go and do as you pleased just yet. Not that you blamed them, it would be rather stressful trying to handle random versions of yourself (and some other human) that had been sucked in from another universe that you knew nothing about.

“Y/n,” Papyrus was the first to break the silence. You looked over at him with a warm smile, noting that appeared to be in awe. He patted the grass in between his legs, “Come Sit Here.” Snorting, you crawled over to him and settled between his legs, resting your back against his chest, in which he immediately moved to start playing with the ends of your hair.  
“Do You Think…”  
“Hm?”  
“That If The Sun Is So Pretty, How Pretty Must The Night Sky Be?”

You paused, unable to properly form words in surprise. It was strange seeing the two of them like this- a good strange.  
“Heh, I know what you’re saying bro.” You rolled your head against Papyrus’ chest to face Sans, grinning widely.

“Whelp, don’t matter how pretty the night sky is- got two even prettier things sitting right here in front of me.”  
“-pfft”  
“Nyeheheh!”  
You grin only widened at their chuckling at your silly remark. God, you couldn’t wait to fulfil your promise, and show them the surface.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're on the surface! ...in another universe.  
> it seems Papyrus, Sans and MC are all slightly in shock at the new turn of events, how well are they going to settle in?  
> Is it just a countdown until something goes...horribly, wrong?
> 
> remember to comment below if you see this <3 


	3. 'OUR HUMAN'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which MC and her skeleton brothers finally get something to eat,
> 
> Life isn't fair- and neither are the people in it. Bad times to come 

Hours later, and It was the end of the workday. As such, it was time for most people to return home, which lead to the current situation. 

The 'Original Sans' had called a house meeting-routine for whenever new 'visitors' dropped in. Versions of Sans and Papyrus sat and stood in pairs wherever they thought comfortable around the lounge room, calculating eyes watching the three of you-assessing you.  
Some appeared friendlier than others-particularly the 'original' Papyrus and some other smaller version of Sans with small blue boots and a bandana draped around his neck to match. Everybody else, on the other hand...well, you'd certainly have to be warier of them. 

The lounge room you were standing in the centre of was large, in fact the entire building you were currently in was pretty enormous. You imagined that if would have to be that way considering the number of inhabitants. Currently 'Sans' was getting the household to settle, giving you time to properly inspect your surroundings.  
Some lazy version of Papyrus dressed in an oversized purple hoodie was sprawled across one of the leather lounges, where a Sans dressed in matching colours appeared to be trying to get him off by fruitlessly pulling at his legs. After a while he gave up, instead opting to stand with a huff and crossed arms. To be honest he looked a bit like an oversized grape with an attitude. A grape, ripe for eating.  
His brother lazily grinned at his antics, a cigarette hanging loosely from in-between his teeth, his teeth were sharpened to points-you halted your inspection when his own gaze locked with yours. It was only as he shifted his head to better look at you that you noticed one eye was unnecessarily squeezed shut-blind, perhaps?

A smirk played at the purple Papyrus' teeth as he rose a bone-brow at you in question, you merely adverted your eyes to instead look back at 'The Original'.  
(You were very uncomfortable with having to refer to somebody else as 'Sans').

"Alright, now that everyone is settled, we can introduce everyone to you," 'Sans' addressed your Sans, to which he merely grumbled 'sure' in reply. Staring at him for a moment longer, you realised your Sans was awful tense, his hands clenching his hoodie pockets and his gaze burnt into the original version of himself.  
"Whelp," 'Sans' tottered over to his own brother, "This is my brother, we don't have nicknames-for obvious reasons." 

"It Is A Pleasure To Meet The Three Of You!" Original Papyrus greeted warmly. You hid a grimace, it was strange seeing two strangely similar versions of your own skeletons (in much better condition), not only in appearance either, but in personality too.

"Yes, I Imagine It Will Be Very...Exciting To Get To Know Everyone Here Too," Your Papyrus returned the warm gesture, though more out of courtesy than any real excitement. You'd known Papyrus long enough to tell when he was feeling anxious about something-however well he tried hiding it with his natural confidence. You all felt a bit like prey, being circled with strange monsters like this. 

"That over there is Stretch (as you know), and his brother Blueberry-or Blue," Your direction was diverted towards the second 'friendlier' skeleton in the room. He introduced himself to the three of you eagerly-it appeared he was quite excitable.  
The introductions continued without much input from you or Sans as you both allowed Papyrus to engage in the formalities. It was a little tense having so many strains of focus directed towards the three of you-though you couldn't help but feel as if you were receiving the brunt of the focus, (perhaps due to being the first version of yourself being sucked here).  
You could also tell Sans was a little on edge from the way he shifted weight from leg to leg, and continued to clench his left hand inside his hoodie pocket (probably feeling unnatural without the usual added weight of the meat cleaver he almost always carried everywhere).

"Whelp, now that we're done with introductions-you three are probably feeling _bone_ tired. We have plenty of spare rooms that you can stay in for the night, then tomorrow we'll sort out where Y/n here will be staying," 'Sans' concluded the introductions, and several participants of this little meeting shifted to get up to leave. He was right though, all three of you were exhauste-wait what?

Both Sans and Papyrus tensed next to you, both having caught on to exactly what had just been said. "What?" Your Sans hissed.

'Sans' teeth partially opened to repeat what he had previously just explained only to be cut of by your Papyrus, "I'm Afraid We Must Have Misheard You, Did You Say That You're Taking Our Human...Away From Us?"

"Uh, yeah. See we generally keep different versions of people in their own households, so Y/n will probably stay with our version of Toriel for the meanti-"

"Well, I'm Sorry To Say, But We Must Refuse."

"...What?"  
"Listen, Buddy," Your Sans rumbled, gaze hardening on the other version of himself, "You aren't taking **our** human away from us. She's staying."

'Sans' paused, eyeing you critically for a few tense seconds before simply sighing. "Look, we'll sort this out tomorrow. For now, let’s just get you fed, and then we'll call it a night, sound good?"

It didn't go unnoticed by this 'original', the way all three of you perked up at the mention of food.  
Of course they had food here-this was the surface! 

The three of you eagerly followed 'Sans' into a dining room, apparently his brother was cooking tonight, and dinner would be served in another 20 minutes to half hour. All three of you took your seats at the large empty wooden table and waited patiently. 

All of this was really coming as a shock to you-only a couple of hours ago and you were waking up back in your bed in Snowdin, thinking it would be like any other day. Yet here you are. Here all three of you were.  
God, you really hoped all of this lasted. You didn't want to have to risk how humanity in your world might react to monsters.  
All the skeletons you'd met here appeared to be in much better shape than the monsters back at home, so it made sense why they would have settled in pretty easily-easier than you imagined people would react to the monsters in your universe.  
You were no fool, you'd seen the grimaces and wary glances directed at Sans' head wound and the poor state of Papyrus' teeth. Seen the looks of either disgust or pity thrown at you from varying versions of your skeletons at the poor state of your clothes. You knew it would take time to adjust, especially seeing you had yet to find out just how much people here differed from the ones you knew.  
But really? Who cared? Anywhere had to be better than back there. 

You wouldn't have to worry about food anymore-you hated to think about it, tried so desperately to ignore the clawing of hunger in your gut. The very same hunger that brought so many to the brink of sanity, that warped people into creatures you couldn't even recognise-seen it force good people to do bad-terrible things, you'd know. You'd seen it in yourself.  
Knowing that from now you'd go to bed with a full belly and wake up with a plate full of food to eat-it filled you with hope. You wouldn't have to get up in the wee hours of the morning to empty your traps and _pray_ that something caught, _pray_ that it was enough for everyone (if it wasn't, you'd eventually have to go looking elsewhere-specifically somewhere within the neighbourhood).

You hated the sinking feeling of despair after checking all of your traps only to find them empty-to walk back home side by side by Papyrus and distract yourself with idle banter to try to forget what might happen if you couldn't find anything soon. 

The scent of food- _meat_ wafted in from the kitchen, and your stomach grumbled hungrily. You were so hungry _hungry_ **hungry-**

"DINNER IS SERVED!" A voice that was distinctively Papyrus' (the original one) yelled, alerting the rest of the household of dinner. You perked up, as all three of you shot your gazes towards the kitchen door, eyes never wavering from the plates held in either hand of 'Papyrus' as he served first Your Sans and Papyrus before coming back with your own plate. 

Skeletons of all colours either strolled, skipped or simply blipped into existence within the dining room, taking their own seats, generally too preoccupied with food to pay all too much attention to you three. Though it seemed as everyone began to settle in that they drew focus to your rapid eating-Sans and Papyrus already scraping up their last forkful or two with you not too far behind. 

"Nyeh. You three eat like you haven't eaten in a week," Stretch, who sat directly opposite you observed with an amused smirk. It was probably a little longer then a week, actually (you'd been lucky that Papyrus picked up a few things in the traps this morning-though you hadn't gotten around to eating it yet). None of you replied, and instead Stretch's statement hung in the air emptily until it became awkward. Shovelling the last forkful into your mouth, your eyes briefly glanced over to the mostly untouched plates of everyone else.

"Wowie!" The original Papyrus grinned widely over to the three of you, "I Don't Think Anyone Has Enjoyed My Food As Much As You! Would You Three Like Seconds?"

"Yes!" Your Papyrus was the first to agree, with you and Sans vigorously shaking your heads in support.

The atmosphere in the room seemed to tense, as several of the skeletons surrounding you three stared at you in surprise. You weren't entirely sure why. "Goodie! I'll Be Right Ba-"

"Actually, They Can Have Mine," A Sans dressed in a black hoodie and sporting a large golden tooth grunted- Red, you believe he was referred to as. 'Papyrus' looked at him warily.

"Are You Su-"

" 'S Fine."

'Papyrus' still looked hesitant, before reluctantly nodded, and picking his plate up for him and sitting it in front of you. 

"They can have mine too," A Papyrus version of Red Offered-Mutt? That was his name-probably.

"Mine too," someone else spoke.

Soon enough, the three of you were splitting up half a table worth of spaghetti, and absolutely devouring each plate with no problem. You knew you were going to suffer serious repercussions from eating so much after eating next to nothing for so long, but you couldn't stop yourself if you tried. Several of the surroundings skeletons looked amused by your appetites- _if only they knew._  
You paid them no mind. 

After shovelling every last bite available, each of you were left thoroughly satisfied. Gee, when was the last time you had a full belly? Especially one so full that it hurt? You couldn't remember. Now having eaten, exhaustion was weighing on you even heavier than previously. Sans looked half asleep at it was-struggling to keep his sockets open, too untrusting of this new environment to give into the temptations of sleep just yet. 

You thanked 'Papyrus' profusely as he came to take your plates for dinner-he seemed to puff his chest out in pride at the compliments ("NYEHEH! You Are Very Welcome Human! The Great Papyrus Would Be Happy To Cook For You Anytime!" -you would be holding him to that).

Now you found yourselves being led down a long corridor with ivory white coloured walls and black wooden doors, towards, assumingly, your own rooms. 'Papyrus' halted at the very end of the corridor of the second level before turning to face the three of you, "These Three Rooms Will Be Yours-For Now," he directed the last part at you, but you made no attempt to argue at finding no ill meaning in his words, "Feel Free To Make Yourselves At Home! I Will Be Back Later On With A Spare Change Of Clothes, " he seemed to fully acknowledge the state of the clothing that hung across your bodies with a slight frown tugging at his teeth, "If You Need Something, I'm Sure There Will Be Someone Around Who Wouldn't Mind Helping You."

You nodded, "Sure," as you watched ‘Papyrus' walk away whilst bidding you all goodnight. 

"You're not going anywhere." 

You turned around to face your Sans, who was glowering. Not at you-probably just at the whole 'taking you away' idea but that didn't stop his gaze from burning into your own. You gave Sans your best reassuring smile, " 'Course not. Now, who wants which room?"  
You partially expected Papyrus to make first dibs on what room he'd want, only to be left slightly surprised at the boy’s silence. You raised an eyebrow at both of them.

"I, Well-" Papyrus shifted nervously in his spot, glancing down the corridor as if to make sure no one else was around, "I Just Don't Know If...I'm Comfortable In Having My Own Room Just Yet?" His word trailed off quietly, as if he was ashamed of them.

"S'right bro- me neither. Three of us can bunk together for the night-yeah?" He threw you a questioning glance-mainly out of courtesy (he already knew what your answer would be).

"Yup. Sounds good to me," you agreed, safely tucking your hands away in your hoodies pockets. Papyrus seemed to cheer up, his previous jitteriness disappearing 

"Very Well! I, The Great Papyrus, Will Determine The Bed Most Suitable For Our Cuddle Pile!" He then proceeded to throw open all three doors and test each bed inside, usually by pressing and prodding into the mattress and feeling the springiness, before testing the quality of the sheet material (you were pretty sure all three beds were identical but he insisted).  
That night the three of you found yourself squashed in between stray limbs and various other body parts on a bed much too small for the three of you (especially Papyrus, though you had no doubt he was used to it at this point).  
That was another thing you had noticed, while all the versions of Sans and Papyrus did seem to vary from pair to pair, your versions were by far the biggest. While Your Sans was probably the same height as you (if not a tad bit shorter), you were taller than most of the other Sans' by at least a head and a half.  
Red was the only version of Sans that seemed relatively bigger than the others. Papyrus though, all the other versions of himself could easily be 7 foot, but your Papyrus? 8 and a half at least.  
Now that you thought of it, you do recall Sans briefly stating something about their eating habits having a particular effect on their magic (perhaps that had something to do with it?). 

Either way, all three of you fell asleep a lot easier then you had in a long time (and only feeling a little sick).

\----

"So they want to keep the human with them huh?"

"That Is A Ridiculous Idea!" 

Mutt lazily turned to face the skeleton who had took it upon himself to interrupt his conversation.  
The scowling version of himself glowered down at him, but Mutt took no note of it. 

"Yeah, we'll talk to them about it when Alphys and all that get here tomorrow. I'm sure Tori will be happy to take her in," Sans-or Classic, explained.

Stretch grunted from his position leaning against the wall, pulling his cigarette away from his teeth to exhale a puff of smoke. "They seem alright. All of 'em are in pretty bad shape though."

"Ate like they'd been friggin' starvin' or something," Mutt agreed. Edge merely scoffed with a roll of his eye lights ( _"Slobs."_ ).

"Mm, who'd you think this Y/n chick is? Their version of the human?"

"Doubt it."

It was silent for all but a second as everyone seemed to consider the situation. "Whelp. I need a smoke. Later." Mutt all but rolled off the couch before blipping out of existence and instead outside to the veranda (heavens forbit M'lord caught him smoking inside), pulling a packet out of his pocket before pulling up a smoke to his teeth.  
Stretch-the lucky bastard. His brother-Blue, (while disapproving of his habit) always went easy on him. Could smoke inside as much as he liked without risking a smack across the back of the skull.  
Mutt subconsciously rubbed at the back of his skull at the phantom aching from previous days. 

With a sigh, Mutt blew out a puff of tobacco, noting he'd have to pick up the stuff he liked instead of the cheap shit tomorrow. His mind was still focused on the three new arrivals after the previous conversation (however brief), before chuckling to himself ruefully. 

And **he** thought he was in a fucked-up condition.


	4. JUST A QUICK EVALUATION...

Despite however cramped you were, you found you'd slept better then you had in a long time (probably from the lack of added stress of not knowing when your next meal would be).  
You shifted in your spot, taking note of who and where everyone was. Papyrus was to your right, already stirring, while Sans was on your left, sound asleep and partially laying on top of you. 

Slipping your hands either side of Sans' ribcage, you carefully shimmied him off of you, and laid him back on the bed before crawling over Papyrus and off the bed. Three changes of clothes had been given to you by 'Papyrus' (you really needed to find some sort of nickname to refer to him as) later on last night were placed on the bedroom wardrobe, untouched. 

Now would probably be the best time for a shower, the sun hadn't quite risen and thus most people would still probably be asleep. You weren't sure what time everyone else got up here, but you and Papyrus were used to early mornings and you doubted you would be breaking out of the habit anytime soon. 

"Y/n?"

You glanced back to find Papyrus' silhouette sitting up in bed, tenderly rubbing at his sockets. "Morning Paps." He looked over to you and grinned (well, probably).

"About To Shower?" 

"Yeah, I’ll make it quick so you can hop in after. Then we can watch the sunrise together."

You noticed Papyrus visibly straighten in the dark, "YES! - I Mean, Yes," he looked over to Sans who stirred in his sleep, "That Is A Great Idea." You grinned, grabbing your change of clothes and tottering into the bathroom, making sure to shut the door as to prevent the noise of the running water waking Sans up (despite how often he napped, he really didn't get enough sleep). 

You instantly noticed just how much better the water pressure was here, the hot water proving to be very soothing against your skin. Your old clothes had been carelessly thrown over in the bathroom sink, while the newer ones folded neatly beside them.  
You weren't exactly sure who they belonged to, but you had a bit of an idea from the red jumper and black shorts (Plus Red was the only one other than your Sans relatively your size).  
Of course, you'd have to use your same underwear and such, though they were in okay condition, and would last for now. 

Despite the temptation to stay under the warm pressure, you knew you had to make it brief if you didn't want to miss the sunrise. Twisting the shower taps off, you stepped out of the shower and made haste to dry and get changed. The (otherwise baggy) clothing fit snugly on you, considering you were bigger than the intended size of the wearer.  
Stepping back into the still dark room, you moved out of the doorway to allow Papyrus to instead enter. (unsurprisingly) Sans was still asleep, and you were pleased to find he was rather peacefully too. 

As the sound of the shower turning back on carried through the bathroom door, you found yourself sitting back on the bed and slipping your shoes and socks back on. You'd have to wake Sans up in a second, so he'd be able to watch the sunrise with you guys.  
It was only something small, but you were glad you would be able to start checking off that mental bucket list that you wanted to do with the two skeletons. It had been years since you last saw the sun-let alone a sunrise, you would thoroughly enjoy watching it too, you imagined. 

Crawling further onto the bed, you reached out to nudge Sans gently on the ribcage. He grumbled and pulled up the sheet resting on his chest. Snickering, you nudged him slightly harder than before, "Rgh, 'M tryna sleep..." he rumbled, flopping over to instead sleep on his chest and burying his face in the fluffy white pillows.

"C'mon," you grinned, "You need to get ready so we can watch the sunrise."

You saw him stiffen, before the bed shook as he sprung up, sheets hanging off his body as he stared at you with wide sockets. "Sunrise?"

"Yup," you confirmed calmly.  
The large red swollen eye light in his left socket seemed to dilate and blur-a tell-tale for whenever he was feeling something strongly. After a moment of just staring at you, he made a move to get up, pushing himself up and crawling over to take a seat next to you as he waited for Papyrus. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah."

"Excited to see the sunrise?"

"What kind of question is that?" he remarked dryly. 

"Jeez," you joked, "Somebody's got a _hot_ temper."

"Tch-Sorry, I'll _lighten_ up."

"That's alright, and here I thought we were about to have a _heated_ conversation."

"Nah, can't handle a good _burn_ you know? Sensitive skin."

You snorted, "Really? I thou-"

"Ah Good!" You both turn to face Papyrus stepping out of the bathroom in a new change of clothes near exactly the same to his previous ones (no doubt original Papyrus', though his looked pristine). "I'm Glad You Two Are Here, For A Second I Thought I Could Vaguely Make Out Somebody Making Puns Out Here! But I Know You Two Would Never Do That," he gave the both of you a pointed look. You both snickered, as you waited for Sans witty reply.

"Course Paps, we're more _sun_ sible then that."

Pfft.

You held your head in your hands as you chuckled. That one was terrible.

"SANS!"

"Shh!" you managed to huff out between your quiet laughter, "Everyone is still sleepin'."

"Ah, True. I Will Have To Be More Careful."

"Anyway, you two ready?" Glancing to Sans, you found him already by the door, both nodding you soundlessly slipped out of your room and downstairs in search of the back veranda. The household was still silent, though all three of you had years of practise on lightening the sounds of your footfalls and were pretty confident that you wouldn't disturb anyone (Though that wasn't what you were entirely concerned about-you just wanted this moment to yourselves, you'd hate to have someone decide you needed to be supervised and crash the party).

The sun had begun to peak over the top of the mountains in the distance, and an audible gasp escaped Papyrus' teeth as he rushed outside to the deck to get a better look-closely followed by Sans than yourself. Both appeared to stand in a stunned silence, gaze never wavering as you took a stand beside them. It was completely silent, and for the first couple minutes you found yourself enamoured with the sunrise yourself, the pink and blue hues that slowly ate away at the inky blackness of the night sky. Though it didn't take all too long until your eyes wandered to the skeletons beside you, to the awe twisted on their expressions. Once again, content seemed to swell in your chest-seeing them so happy, it filled you with **HoPe.**

You allowed yourself to relax and instead just enjoy the moment-let you guard down, even if it was just a few minutes. You didn't know how to feel about your new housemates, but you weren't going to let them get in the way of your or their happiness. You’re sure both Sans and Papyrus would return the favour any day of the week. 

\----

You weren't exactly comfortable with how close this yellow monster was to you, and especially uncomfortable with the blue scaled fish in the room.  
Currently Sans was glaring down the fish-lady, who apparently was only the Captain of the Royal Guard in this world (that didn't affect Sans' burning hatred for the woman). Undyne, in reply, merely only returned the favour, snarling her shark like teeth at Sans, though nobody stepped in to rectify the situation. 

When this world's Undyne had first stepped in the room you could tell both Sans and Papyrus were prepared to dust the monster-the usual red orb in Sans' socket extinguishing. That was until this world's Sans and some other yellow monster stood in the way completely oblivious to the sudden murderous intentions of your skeletons as soon as the fish took a step in the room. Though thankfully they seemed to remember that this wasn't actually their Undyne and stopped themselves before all out warfare broke out. 

Though all three of you were currently very uncomfortable, especially in the presence of Undyne-the queen of the underground back home. You'd never met her face to face but had certainly seen her pass by and both seen and heard of her cruel and selfish ruling.  
**Seen what she did to Sans and Papyrus.**

In the end, it was Papyrus who had told you about what happened, and ever since all three of you had been closer than ever. You couldn't help but feel a healthy amount of hatred towards the fish yourself on their part. Despite this version being from another _friendlier_ universe, you had no doubt some similarities would remain. No doubt that this version was just as capable of doing the same as the one back in the underground.

So, in an effort to back Sans up (and also make sure she didn't try anything) you continued to glare at her from across the room, ignoring the yellow reptile standing in front of your position sitting on the dining table despite the perfectly good chairs.

"U-Uh, are you...? You're not listening are you..." Your eyes temporarily flickered back to Alphys-the original version, as she had introduced herself being before returning to Undyne.

"Yeah, sorry, whatever. What were you saying?"

"I uh, I just needed to...you know, just ask some questions?" You paused your glaring to give Alphys a strange look, before giving her a quick once over in which she seemed to shrink under before looking back to Undyne and occasionally Papyrus and Sans to make sure they were alright with some other version of Alphys prodding at them. You weren't sure why this Alphys was acting so nervously, all it did was serve to add to your suspicions (what was she hiding?).

"Sure. Ask away."

"I, um, okay," she looked down briefly to the clipboard she held tightly in her claws, "So, uh, name please?"

"Y/n."

"Uh, f-full name? “You gave her a short, but pointed look-she seemed to get the message. "U-uh, any disabilities/disorders/special requirements?"

"No."

"O-okay, well, if you could just, come with me?" 

You slid of the table with no argument, shoving your hands in the pockets of your shorts as Alphys stood by a scale to, most likely, record your weight. Slipping off your shoes with your feet you stood on the scale, still distracted with Undyne-or 'Undick' as you'd heard Sans refer to her in the past. 

"O-oh! Wow!" You looked back over to Alphys. Was that a good or bad thing? "You're a lot lighter...REALLY light.... Lighter than you should...than you should probably be..." she trailed off, seemingly loosing herself in her own thoughts for a second. 

"Uh...?"

"Oh!" She pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose before she turned to grab some rubber measuring tape. "Here, step on this," she instructed, dropping the '0cm' end on the floor and raising her arm to try and measure only to fall short considering her own size. Snorting, you gently nudged her claw away to instead measure yourself, pinching the tape at the top of your head before bringing it down to record it.

"Is that it?" You questioned. 

"I-well, no. But um-have you eaten? Today at all?"

You nodded.

"Good good! Good um, because you just, need to put on a bit more weight yeah? I uh-not to be rude! I hope that didn't come off as, as well, rude-but your r-really underweight an-"

"Yeah, whatever. It's fine," you brushed her off, effectively ending the word diarrhoea spewing from her mouth. "That fish chick though," you pointed over to Undyne.

"Oh, you mean my fiancée, Undyne?" She turned around to face the fish, "What about her?"

"That's your version of her, yeah?"

"U-Uh, yes?"

You nodded. Eyeing the fish suspiciously. "So, what's your angle?"

"I uh-what?"

Your eyes shifted to instead coolly met Alphys' "Don't bother playin' any games with me, 'm not in the mood. What's your deal? What do ya really wanna know? Plan to do?" Alphys' eyes widened in surprise, taking a step back with nervous gulp. She wasn't doing well making herself look any less guilty.

"I-I don't, I have no idea what your-" Your gaze hardened as you searched her expression, for any sign that she was lying. "S-seriously! I, we, have to do this whenever somebody new gets sent here! T-There is no, there isn't any angle."

You searched for a while longer until she visibly begun to sweat under your gaze. With a sigh, you looked back over to Sans and Papyrus to see how they were doing. "Yeah, sure. What now?"

Alphys looked relieved that you had looked away, instantly relaxing at your diverted attention, "Well, the uh-well Toriel will be here soon-"

"-Toriel?"

Alphys seemed to regard you for a second, "Uh I, yes. Toriel-the previous queen of monsters." previous? "She'll be coming here later, or um, in a couple minutes to take you home with her."

"That's not happening."

"Uh...w-why?"

You deadpanned and Alphys flinched. "I'm not leaving Sans and Papyrus."

"O-oh," she seemed to realise something, "I can a-assure you that nobo-that no harm will come to them."

Pinching the bridge of your nose you sighed, "That's not it. We stick together. Wherever they go-I go, and vice versa."

"I um, well...okay.." 

The two of you fell into a silence, and you decided that you were done there. Alphys seemed alright at best, but you currently just wanted to be near your skeletons. (You weren't used to all this friendly interaction-it was slightly overwhelming). 

"How are you guys going?" Sans was snapped out of his glaring contest and instead looked over to you.

"Eh," he huffed.

"Very Well!" Papyrus nervously smiled before shifting uncomfortably at the Alphys in a red jumper's prodding. 

"Hey, Pal," you rested your hand on this other Alphys' shoulder, successfully gaining her attention, "Knock it off will ya? He ain't comfortable with all the pocking and prodding."

"I-it's for scientific purposes," Other Alphys tried to brush you off. You frowned as she turned around to continue as she was doing, blatantly ignoring you.  
A frown tugged at the edge of your lips, this time you grabbed her tightly by the arm and pulled her off him, successfully causing her to stumble back a few steps.

"Listen, buddy. It wasn't a request." You slipped in between the two defensively, noting that you had pissed her off.

"N-no you l-listen! I'M the one working! Y-you need to b-back off!" She pointed a single sharp claw at you accusingly and you took a threatening step towards her in warning.

"Oh dear! Whatever is going on here?" You both turn to face the new voice, originating from a white furred goat-woman. You didn't back down from your challenging stance even as Papyrus pulled you closer to him and away from Alphys. ("Thank You" he had whispered quietly into your ear).

"T-This MORON, Won't let me do m-MY job!" Red Alphys hissed. You were beginning to think this stuttering thing was an 'Alphys' thing rather than just something the Alphys you met did. It seemed the commotion had captured the attention of everyone else in the room as original Alphys, Sans and Undyne tottered over to see what all the fuss was about.

"And what exactly differs from your inspection from the one Alphys gave me?"

"Nothi-"

"Then I don't see why you felt the need to touch him when Alphys didn't once do so to me." You were pleased to see that shut her up-if only for a few seconds. 

"O-obviously 'Alphys' didn't-wasn't doing a thorough enough job!"

"Bullsh-"

"Enough! Stop Arguing In Front Of Toriel!" You froze, before meeting the hardened gaze of Undyne. You didn't miss the way Sans tensed at the close proximity-quickly pulling both Papyrus and you to the furthest side of the mini-circle everyone was standing in from her.

"I-I, uh, Toriel-"

The goat woman sighed, before clasping her hands together "Crimson, you need to remember not to get too carried away in your work, alright?"  
Red Alphys-or ‘Crimson’ shut her mouth with an audible click of teeth and silently nodded. So this goat woman must be 'Toriel'. Looking at her you had no doubt she was capable of being a queen (She was ginormous), she held her ground in a way that screamed confidence and spoke with a conviction only a leader possessed. It was odd though-Sans and Papyrus told you everything, but they had never mentioned a 'Toriel', you would have thought they would have-with her being the ex-queen and all. "And you, my child, must learn to not be so short tempered. I understand you were simply trying to help your friend, but there are better ways to go about things, understood?"

You felt a bit like a child being scolded by their mother under her stern gaze (not that you would know). "Sure," you replied leisurely, eyeing the woman curiously. "So you’re the one taking me with you, yeah?"

"That is correct," she hummed politely, "You will be able to meet my children, Frisk and Chara. Chara is Stretch's and Blueberry's version of Frisk. I'm sure you'll get along just fine."

"Hey Lady," you turn around to face your Sans, already knowing what he was about to say. "You can't have her."

"Have her?" She chuckled pleasantly, "Oh no no, I assure you, you will be able to see her whenever you wish, she merely will be staying with m-"

**"No."**

Toriel paused, as if to revaluate her words, "Come on now, there is no ne-"

"I'm Afraid That We Have Already Made Up Our Minds," Papyrus pulled you closer, squeezing you between the two almost as if they were trying to hide you. "Please Forgive Me For My Rudeness, Your Majesty, But She Stays With Us." Toriel seemed to give the three of you a mildly annoyed once over, before she turned to face the original Sans. 

"Sans, a word please?"

He nodded and the two shuffled over to speak quietly to each other in the opposite side of the room, with the occasional glance back at the group they left behind. 

"You Three!" Suddenly a loud voice hissed, "You Need To Stop Being So Rude To Toriel!" You met the glare of the blue fish and scowled. 

"Fuck off Undick," Sans growled, "Before you get yourself dusted." You could tell from the way Papyrus awkwardly shifted beside you that he felt the need to scold Sans for his 'foul' language but knew that it wasn't the most appropriate moment. That and he hated Undyne equally as much as his brother.

Undyne's eye twitched. "....whAT DID YOU JUS-"

"W-woah! U-Undyne! Wait a second!" Alphys desperately grabbed onto her fiancées arm to pull it back down to her side from up in the air where she was summoning some sort of weapon.  
You could tell from the angry clenching of Sans' hand that he was missing his meat cleaver as he glowered at the fish, moving into a defensive position to instead prepare to summon a wave of bones to impale the fish -skewer her like a sushi kebab. 

Papyrus quickly pushed you behind him, ready to summon his own weapon if another move was made-though Alphys seemed to properly sate Undyne, instead, she resolved to instead mutter curses under her breath and send dirty looks towards the three of you as Sans and Papyrus hesitantly dropped their defensive positions.

"Pft! Y-you three have n-no -have you got no respect?" And it seemed Crimson was eager to jump aboard the hell-is-about-to-break-loose-boat, as you sent a sharp look at the yellow cactus. 

"Like you can talk you _inbred,_ " you snickered, revelling in her following expressions.

"A-at least I don't look like a-" The entire groups bickering cut short when you noticed Toriel and the other Sans heading back over. As they re-joined the group, Toriel gave everyone a firm look-no doubt having picked up on the loud bickering from across the room. 

"Well. Y/n, it appears that Sans has agreed to allow you to stay. "You nodded, suddenly in a much better mood, but gave no verbal reply. "Well then, I best be going. I look forward to...further getting to know you later on..."

"Sure," you shrugged. "Later." 

Toriel nodded, and bid everyone else goodbye, though despite the smile she had pulled on her face there was still an underlying tone of bitterness from her previous irritation. Once again, she seemed like an alright woman at best-perhaps a little stubborn.  
You didn't know if you'd get along with her. Not with how things were looking currently.

"Whelp. You done with them?" You questioned Crimson with a glance that immediately told her of the answer you expected.

"Yes." She bit out, not too all pleased but didn't put up any further argument. 

"Great."

Original Sans saw the two Alphys' and Toriel out the door, requesting that the three of you waited where you were in the meantime. "Well. She was a bit of a dick," you broke the silence, immediately getting a chuckle out of Sans and a disapproving look from Papyrus in return.

" 'S this close to friggin dusting the fish" Sans mused darkly, lifting his phalanges to show just how close he was to dusting her.

"Definitely. Me too."

The conversation hit a dead end as all three of you fell silent-you gave Papyrus a curious look as he was strangely quiet. 

A sigh from behind you ended the sombre moment as you turned to face the other Sans, "Whelp Kid. It appears you'll be staying with us." He paused as if he expected someone to reply, but upon receiving none, continued. "There will be a few ground rules that I'll need to run by you first- _all,_ of you," He made sure to give both Papyrus and Sans a look too, "But otherwise you should be good to go."

"Cool," you replied simply. "When's lunch?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it seems the Horrortale brothers have an ounce of self-control in themselves-though they were far from happy seeing 'Undyne'. 
> 
> How long will it be before their patience runs out?
> 
> Vote below if we should have a death scene for crimson. 


	5. HUNGER

The three of you spent the next few days laying low and avoiding the other inhabitants of the house. You'd probably spoken briefly to either Original Papyrus or Blueberry to thank them for breakfast or dinner-but that was just about it. It was probably better that way considering certain skeletons were less...accepting of your presence. Your Papyrus on the other hand, seemed to be settling in better than you or Sans. You could tell he felt a little out of place (especially at all the stares he got at his teeth), but he was handling it well, and interacting with the friendlier house members whenever the opportunity rose. 

You had talked to the original Sans-or classic as you had heard others refer to him by, about letting the three of you go out and explore-except he said he wanted the three of you too settle in better before he let you run off on your own (or some other bullshit).  
So instead the three of you opted to instead watch the sunrises and sunsets each day out on the back porch. It was peaceful, and you had yet to run into any conflict with anyone here. Several versions of the skeleton brothers seemed a little rough around the edges (Specifically the one named Edge), but you since concluded that they were safe (as long as you didn't provoke them), at least safe enough to not be anxious to leave Sans and Papyrus on their own with them.  
It seemed the two of them had similar ideas as to you, as even now you'd find they'd both go off to check up on you and each other every few hours.

Currently Papyrus was in the kitchen helping make breakfast with the original version of himself and Blueberry; Sans was still upstairs asleep. It was a Sunday morning, and apparently mostly everyone would be staying home today and you were curious to see how that would play out.  
Currently you were waiting in the same place you always did before any meal-the dining room. Usually you'd wait alone except for the occasional company of Sans or Papyrus when he wasn't helping in the kitchen-today though, it seemed life had other plans for you.

The chair to your right was pulled back, squeaking across the wooden floor. Mutt, a version of Papyrus sunk into the chair, gaze locking with yours before lazily bringing a barbeque sauce bottle to his teeth for a quick sip.  
"So," he rasped, voice gruff like how you'd imagine a smokers would be, "What's up wit' you?"

Resting your cheek in the palm of your hand, you eyed the skeleton casually, "Not sure what your getting at bud'."

Shifting in his seat, he repositioned himself to look at you better, kicking his legs up on the table, "I mean, the three of ya act awful suspicious. You and Axe-" You tensed at Sans' appointed nickname, which they had given to him after he had suddenly shown up fiddling with a particularly large axe in his hands and since refused to part with it (you could tell he felt much more relaxed with some sort of weapon-even if it wasn't his meat cleaver, it'll do), "-are always lockin' ya selves up, hidin' away from everybody else. Not ta' mention the condition we found ya's in-and ya know, the condition Axe and Crooks are still in."

Piercing your lips, briefly considering the worth of sating him with a response, "Maybe we just prefer to keep to ourselves," you hummed lazily to yourself, "The only company we ever got back at home...never _stuck around_ long."

Mutt didn't seem to catch onto the full extent of your words, but nodded anyway-suspiciously eyeing you for a moment before instead shutting his sockets and relaxing in his chair. It almost seemed as if he'd fallen asleep, if it weren't for the occasional occurrence where he brought the BBQ sauce back up to his teeth for another drink.  
You'd noticed that it was a trait that at least one brother between each pair possessed-drinking condiments. Sans' was the same as Classic's-tomato sauce, but everyone else's seemed to vary. Tomato sauce was pretty scarce back down in the underground, but you could tell that Sans thoroughly enjoyed the beverage ("Love it from my head to-ma-toes," he had chuckled) whenever he got the chance to have some.  
Perhaps once upon a time you might have been weirded out by the strange eating habit, but nowadays-if it was consumable, it was food. 

It had been a couple days having been able to eat as much as you liked three times a day, but even then you couldn't shove down the primal feeling that arose from deep in your chest whenever presented with it. The very same primal feeling back when you were underground-hunting to survive, competing for food.  
It was hard to believe that it was only a few days ago since you were back there-hard to fully comprehend that _you were actually here_ , that you were finally _on the surface._  
You couldn't swallow the grin that stretched your lips at the thought.

__No sooner was breakfast being served-you didn't even need to get up to wake up Sans, he just appeared, right on time-as always. It seemed that Mutt had decided he couldn't bother to get up or even wake up and instead stayed where he was until Original Papyrus had come in and scolded him to get his feet off the table. He just chuckled and sat back in his chair normally, before lazily picking at the breakfast tacos that had been made for this morning's meal._ _

__Originally you'd been confused why everyone was so shocked to see the three of you eat the way you did (beside the fact you did eat in a rather impolite manner), now that the hunger didn't get in the way of allowing you to actually register what you were putting in your mouth, you'd come to realise Blue and Classic's brother weren't the greatest at cooking.  
You didn't hesitate to take a large greedy bite of your first taco (they had since learnt to give the three of you larger portions).  
It didn't matter how well they cooked to you-food was food. Plus you'd eaten far worse things. 

__( _you swear you could still feel the sandy texture of dust in-between your teeth._ )_ _

__Sans and Papyrus seemingly decided to sit across from you today and you made sure to make a brief glance upwards in between eating to meet their gaze, which spoke something along the lines of _'Morning', 'Everything's okay'.__ _

__Startled out of trying to pick up your second taco and instead dropping it back on the plate caused by a familiar loud voice, it was only then you realised who decided to take a seat to your left. Blueberry.  
You had no problem with the exuberant skeleton, he fed you-therefore he was good in your book._ _

__"MWEHEH! Why Yes! As Such, I Shall Continue To Diligently Work On The Training Course Outside! Unfortunately Papyrus Cannot Join Me As He Will Be Training With Undyne Today, Correct?"_ _

__Training course? He meant that random trail of various junk-mostly consisting of stray rubber tires and planks of wood outside?_ _

__"Yes, That Is Right! Perhaps I Can Join You Another Day?"_ _

__"Of Course Mweheh!" Blueberry happily ate away at the tacos, falling into silence as Classic Papyrus turned to speak with someone else. You stared down at your squeaky clean plate in boredom-you didn't leave a stray lettuce leaf, before nudging Blueberry on the side of his arm with your elbow._ _

__He jumped slightly at the unexpected contact, before turning to face you with a 'Mweh?'  
"Yes Human? Is There Something You Need? How Are You Liking The Tacos?"_ _

__" Mm, they're real good Blue, Thanks," you complimented without any real enthusiasm, "So, you were talking 'bout that 'obstacle course' out back yeah?"_ _

__"I Knew You Would Like Them Human! (-Who Wouldn't?) And Yes, It Is A Work In Progress."_ _

__"Huh, don't think I could lend a hand?" Your finger twitched from beside your plate. You were itching to find something to do._ _

__Blueberry perked up, seemingly ecstatic with the request, "Of Course! I Would Love Company Human!"_ _

__"Cool."_ _

__It was silent between the two of you for all but a second as Blue eyed your empty plate, "You Have Quite The Appetite Don't You Human? -Not That It's A Bad Thing."_ _

__Inspecting Blue who had twisted in his seat to face you, you noted that the question seemed innocent enough and shrugged, "I get hungry."_ _

__"I'd Be Concerned If You Didn't," he mused encouraging the smirk playing at your lips to grow._ _

__"What can I say? I know something delicious when I see it," a devilish toothy grin spread across your face, hunger evident in the look burning into the small skeleton in front of you. He might not have much meat on him-you noted as your eyes rolled up and down his form, but he'd at least be something to chew on._ _

__Blueberry visibly shivered under your sinister gaze, temporarily taken aback by your change in demeanour, "I-UH, Well," his eye lights fell and found your empty plates, "I'll Take These Away! I'll Meet You In The Backyard!" He collected both of your plates before jittering away into the kitchen._ _

__Snickering silently to yourself, you noticed the familiar feeling of eyes burning into your back. Twisting around, your eyes locked with Stretch's, who was currently giving you a hefty glare fuelled by something like distrust across from the opposite side of the table. Despite the casual demeanour of several of the inhabitants of the house, you'd come to know that most were rather untrusting in their own right. Not that that mistrust was misplaced.  
You merely raised a mocking eyebrow in reply before slipping off your chair and strolling out the way you knew lead out to the backyard. _ _

__Like what had been discussed, Blueberry met you outside only leaving you to wait for a couple of minutes. As he skipped over to your side (previous nervousness forgotten), the both of you were left to inspect the yard. This property was quite big and isolated (you couldn't see any neighbouring homes from here), which allowed for lots of room for whatever (nobody would hear any struggle from here-you casually realised). "How long have you been working on this for?"_ _

__Blue looked up at you, hands placed confidently on his hips, "A Day! Me And Papyrus Have Been Planning This For A While Now, Though It Seems We Kept Getting Distracted-But Not Today Human! For I Am Determined To Complete It!"_ _

__You nodded, amused by the small skeletons antics that were very much similar to your own Papyrus', before wondering over to give one of the old tires a light kick. "So, what's the battleplan?"_ _

__You were mildly impressed by the blueprint Blue had managed to pull out of nowhere in reply to your question, in which he then proceeded to fill you in on the details. While he left to go grab some tools from the shed, you eyed the sketches, coming up with a few ideas for improvement.  
Frankly the layout of the obstacle course seemed too easy-no real challenge-maybe if you added some barbed wire? Made the wall climb higher? You'd have to discuss it with Blue. _ _

You were glad to have something to do-especially something involving your hands. You'd been left idle for too long, it felt unnatural to not be doing anything after years of constantly being on your feet-constantly moving.  
As much as you appreciated just being able to be lazy and not do anything productive every now and then, being constantly idle unsettled you. You turned to face Blue as you heard the tell-tale sounds of boots hitting the dirt approaching you.  
"Found The Tools!" 

__You nodded, before the pair of you set off too work. You opted to start working on the hurdles-except with a twist. Using a shovel you dug a long rectangle outline in the ground where the hurdles would go-Blue had stopped to give you a curious look but you waved him off and merely muttered "Making It better."  
Seeing as he didn't try to stop you and instead skipped off to put together the monkey bars, you took that as permission. _ _

__Using your foot to jam the shovel into the dirt, you started to dig out the rectangle. Thanks to years of added strength you made quick progress, but Blueberry had come over to help assist you at some point anyway, until the hole was about shoulder depth on you.  
Satisfied with how deep you had dug, you lazily brushed off the dirt from your hands on your shorts, before realising that Blueberry wouldn't be able to get out. A briefly amused glance his way was all that was needed to determine he had realised the same thing._ _

__You snorted at his slightly distressed look, not bothering to warn or ask him before snaking your arms around his ribs to instead hoist him up, sitting him up on the ground outside of the hole. You felt him tense under your firm grip, but immediately relaxed after realising what you were doing. He stood to his feet to watch as you used your hands to hoist yourself up, feet hooking into the earth to use as steps._ _

__"Human?"_ _

__"Yup?" you grunted, pulling your legs out of the hole and spinning to your feet to face the small skeleton._ _

__"Why Did You Need To Dig A Hole This Deep Anyway?"_ _

__"Bury the bones." You chuckled darkly at his grimace-obviously not a fan of dark jokes. "Anyway, you can continue with what you were doing-I'll be alright here." He merely nodded, before wandering off to his side of the obstacle course with only a quick glance back at you._ _

__You shaped one of the ends of the hole into a slope, so you could slide down into it before setting up the hurdles by wedging wooden planks in the dirt either side of the hole, some low enough to jump over and other higher enough to crawl under.  
It seemed like digging the hole was a whole lot of unnecessary work to anyone else, but the whole purpose was so that no one could cheat-but they would also have to climb back out. You'd thought it added a bit of a spin, like two different obstacles in one.  
You hummed to yourself as you threw part of a rope over the other side of the hole so it touched the ground before tying the other end in a knot with nimble hands around a tree close by. Perhaps it would be a lot easier to climb out of by people of a higher verticality, but at least it would provide as a bit of a challenge by those opposed. 

Looking around, it appeared Blue had done much more than you-though as you looked at them you found they all could easily be improved. They were all done to a high standard-if not completely flawlessly-if it were an obstacle course for children. Even then, you could recall your own six year old self walking down a street more dangerous than the obstacle course you were staring at.  
It was only as you had started wrapping barbed wire across the supporting ends of the monkey bars that you realised you were evaluating the obstacle course more as a trap than equipment used for training.  
You guess after years of building and designing traps and other deadly puzzles with Papyrus, that it kind of came as second nature to you. You continued wrapping barbed wire around the monkey bars. 

After having decorated the monkey bars to a satisfactory level, you moved to instead settle a ladder against a tree to begin working on the sky nets, cheaply improvising with fishing net (It won't break-probably). 

You'd almost missed lunch you realised (only slightly panicked) as you were halfway done with the sky nets when Papyrus wandered out with both you and Blue's sandwiches. Head twisting to look over to Papyrus who was striding over to the tree you were in when you careful jumped out of the branch you were in, biting your tongue when you jumped on your bad ankle before moving to meet him halfway.  
"Hey Paps," you greeted. 

"Ah, How Is The Trap Building Y/n?" Papyrus hummed pleasantly, patting your head with his free hand after handing you your plate. 

"Good. Working on sky nets." 

"Oh! Are You Going To Put Spikes Underneath?" 

"Probably." You turned slightly to create a small circle when Blue skipped over to see what was going on. 

"Blueberry, Here Is Your Lunch! You Two Didn't Come Inside, So I Figured I'd Take It Out To Both Of You." 

"Oh! Thank You Crooks-" You _especially_ hated that nickname, "-We Are Nearly Done The Obstacle Course!" >

Papyrus seemed to hesitate in his reply, obviously caught on the word he had been referred to as. Your first instinct was to start a fuss the first time you had heard the nickname, but after he had repeatedly assured you it was fine-you let it drop (for now). "I...Uh, Of Course! It Is No Problem!" he grinned pleasantly down at Blue, though he may had missed it, you didn't miss the slight flinch Blue made as his eye lights flickered down to his teeth. "Anyhow! I Shall Be Inside! Happy Trap Building!" 

With that, Papyrus spun on his heel with another quick pat against your head before going back inside. The sound of the glass door sliding back shut caused your gaze to instead slide down at Blue. You made sure to give him a look that let him know that you saw how he responded to Papyrus' smile. He winced, looking down ashamed. 

You didn't offer Blue any kind of solace as you instead moved to sit under the tree you were working under to bite into your sandwich. You weren't angry at him-you knew he had no ill intent, and you couldn't really blame him from being intimidated by him or Sans. Especially because he was essentially just staring at a beat-up version of his own brother and himself. 

Whatever. You couldn't help being a little defensive over them. 

With a sigh, you abandoned your plate to pick up later on, instead moving to finish your work on the obstacle course, clothing filthy by the end of the day and the tender flesh of your hand stinging from the constant friction of tying knots and hammering things together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything is going well with Mc and her boys. The three are settling In just fine!
> 
> How long will it take before they get too comfortable?
> 
> Also, Dragongirl152 found this really amazing song that we both think fits the reader really well.
> 
> You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg2kjAf0aYI
> 
> (i hope you don't mind the slight shout out)
> 
> You're good at keeping secrets, but they're better at finding them out. 


	6. MONDAY FUNDAY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy hell guys!  
> I just received an AMAZING piece of fanart by Nyanyo!  
> You can find it here: https://i.imgur.com/jewLrJR.png
> 
> Once again, thank you so much Nyanyo, I absolutely adore it!  
> But also thank you to everyone else for all the kudos and support-I absolutely love to read everyone's comments and feedback. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story,
> 
> Thank you!!!
> 
> They're watching you closer then you think. 

Currently you and Sans were in your chosen room, after the first few nights the three of you had become familiar enough with your surroundings to sleep in your separate rooms, though most of your free time consisted of all three of you hanging out in the same room. Papyrus was downstairs, probably with Classic's brother, Blue and maybe Edge, Black or even Razz too cleaning up the mess after breakfast. 

You hadn't talked to the edgier versions of each loud brother yet but had received your fair share of dirty looks and scowls from two of them. Otherwise they seemed too preoccupied to talk to you and rather just did their own thing. That and you generally just kept to yourself and didn't get involved in other people’s conversations.

While Sans was lazily laying on his stomach across your bed, you simply sat and stared down at him as he pulled his hands out of a packet of chips and threw them in his mouth. Currently, between the two of you was probably half the pantry-In which Sans had raided and abruptly appeared in your room arms full of food to eat together.  
Despite having already eaten a large breakfast, you didn't refuse any food that he pulled out of a packet and offered you. The decently sized TV screwed to the wall had been turned on, and you had settled for some blockbuster movies already playing. Even though Sans was half-napping and more focused on holding nick-knacks of all sorts in the air for you to eat, you knew he was listening. 

He'd have never watched a blockbuster film before, you realised with a slight frown. All they had underground was the Mettaton crap that Papyrus seemed to love-and Sans hated.  
You'd have to take them to see a movie. As many as they wanted.  
(That's if Papyrus was comfortable sitting still for that long).

You idly toyed with the pain that would spike from your hands after all the strenuous work yesterday. You and Blue had managed to finish the course to a satisfactory level, though it got to the point where Blue questioned if you were perhaps going overboard with the barbed wire...  
You made a compromise. 

Things were still a little tense between you, Sans and some of the other household members. You know from firsthand experience that Sans wasn't exactly 'nice', and it took a long time to get him to warm up to you, (Two years, to be exact).  
He was a bit prickly, and had apparently lost his previous patience after the 'incident' (He still has plans to dust Undick, in which you whole-heartedly plan to assist him with), which meant he had a pretty hard time keeping his cool around other people. Hence why he generally avoided everyone else here-though you imagined he would become more comfortable with everyone after a while of being here.

"Anyway," he grumbled, peeling open a single socket, illuminated with the haunting red light to stare at you, "Anyone cause ya any trouble? No one I need ta' dust?"

"Nah," you choked out between your mouthful of cheezels knowing fully well the weight behind his seemingly lighthearted threat. 

You could feel his gaze inspecting you-searching for any signs of a lie, before relaxing at finding nothing, "Good." You continued to watch your movie even as he fell asleep, chest rising and falling calmly. That was until you heard a loud 'BANG' from downstairs-sounded like something heavy being dropped.  
Deciding to go and investigate, you slid your feet out from underneath you and over the edge only to be abruptly brought back to the bed. "Get up and I'll break ya legs," Sans mused, voice filled with mirth. Now that was threat you knew he didn't really mean, but for his sake (and also the sake of your lack of motivation to argue)you complied as he slipped his arms around your waist to keep you firmly planted to the mattress and falling back to sleep.

Guess you were hanging here for a while.

\----

After Sans had _actually_ fallen asleep, you had managed to slip out of his grasp without him waking up. Your legs fell like jelly from the odd position they were squeezed in for the past couple of hours, and it took the trip from your bed to your door to get the blood flow working properly again.

The house was virtually empty-and completely silent. Everyone was out at work by now and you idly wondered where Papyrus had gone off too.  
As you went to search the household for Paps, you found yourself wondering about what would happen from here on. Would you eventually have to get a job too? You never even finished high school-and even if you had, you were some totally random human in an alternate universe. This worlds government would have no record of you what-so-ever.

Would you be given forged identification papers? Or would you just lay low for the rest of your stay here? If the other versions of people sucked into this universe had already gotten jobs, then you figured you'd be staying here for quite a while. But how long exactly?

Okay, now you were getting worried. You'd checked probably the entire bottom-floor, having even peeked your head in the kitchen, but having still not finding him caused knots to twist in your stomach tightly. Had he gone out with Classic's brother or something?  
No-you still weren't allowed out and about yet (something you'd have to consult Classic about). He'd have to be around somewhere. Maybe you'd be less concerned if this was Sans, he'd likely mess with you by shortcutting behind you so you could never find him-but there was no missing someone as large and loud as Papyrus (however silent he could be).

"Papyrus?" You called out at a casual volume, not wanting to display your concern. You received no reply. Perhaps he had gone back to his room?

You skipped the stairs two at a time (something you did anyway) as you ventured back towards where your rooms were located, pausing in front of Papyrus' door and knocking. Silence.  
Twisting the handle, you peeked your head in the dim room, no one. You checked both your room (Sans was still asleep, snoring loudly and buried underneath packets of chips and other lollies) and Sans' but Papyrus was in neither.

Clenching your teeth, you opted to search the rest of the house-the second floor and upwards. You knocked on everyone's doors (and eventually just peeked inside if nobody answered) until you had made it to the fourth floor, where to your relief, you heard the sound of chatter bouncing out of an open room and down the hallway. Picking up your pace you took a sharp turn left and found yourself in an open mini second lounge room (you don't think you'd bothered to explore anywhere above the second floor yet).  
You instantly relaxed once your eyes located the back of Papyrus' skull. He was currently sitting next to Stretch, who took up the rest of the lounge they were on with his legs. In a single seater across the room was Red-the first to spot you, and on another longer lounge was Slim, body taking up the entire thing and feet still hanging over the end.

"Heh, well it seems the human has joined the party," Red commented, causing all three pairs of eyes that weren't already looking at you to turn around. Gaze finding Papyrus', you ignored all of the others to instead approach him, taking a stand beside him (seeing as there was no other spots). You could feel Stretch's tense gaze on you-it wasn't hostile-just untrusting. 

"Y/n! I Am Glad That You Have Decided To Get Up And Do Something Productive! I Was Just Here Talking To Some Of The Other Members Of The Household!" You glanced over to Papyrus as he spoke, before running your eyes back over all of the other males in the room.

"M'right. Sounds cool," you moved in front of the lounge Papyrus was on and begun to settle on the ground, "Don't mind if I join in?"

"Of Course Not!" 

You ignored the looks of all three other skeletons as you rested your head against the couch beside Papyrus' knee. None looked particularly annoyed-more curious, maybe a little suspicious than anything. 

" Where 'ave you been all day huh? Haven't seen ya around."

"Sleeping," You lolled your head to the side, getting a better look at Red as he flashed his shark like teeth at you.

"That it? Noticed Axe hasn't been around either," he smirked, the comment receiving a snicker from Stretch and Slim. You narrowed your eyes at Red, knowing fully well what he was implying.

"Nyeh-If ya wanted to _bone_ a skeleton, ya could have just said-got a variety of options," Slim mused lazily from across the couch. You felt Papyrus stiffen behind you, probably only just now catching onto their drift.

"Yeah? Who’s to say I'm not gay?" You grinned at their silence-having not expected such a reply," Besides, I prefer a bit of **meat** on my bones." 

Your small audience chuckled, except Papyrus, of course. "Y/n! Please Do Not Encourage Them! If You Stop Now, There Perhaps May Be A Chance They Will Eventually Develop A Good Sense Of Humour In The Future."  
The laughter increased-now including your own quiet snickering. While Papyrus was certainly no fan of puns and the like-he still was very funny in his own right. He merely had a very different type of sense of humour from his brother. 

"Ouch. That hurt, Crooks," Stretch mused. 

"Yeah, if we'd realised you had a _bone_ ta pick wit' us we'd have saved you from this _pun_ ishment," Red Cackled at Papyrus' loud groaning.

Well, although you didn't exactly get along 100% with everybody in the household, you were pleased to find that at least some of them had a sense of humour, and as such, you found yourselves making witty banter for a good hour or so. It certainly was no sappy bonding session and you doubted it changed your position with the three of them at all (they did seem like particularly off-standish people, not that you couldn't same the same for yourself), though you at the very least found a common ground with them-puns. Should have guessed really.

Soon enough the front door from downstairs swung open, but it wasn't the sound of the door hitting the wall that alerted you all that people were arriving home from work-but rather the loud "WE'RE HOME!" and "RED GET HERE THIS INSTANT!" that cut you off mid-sentence.

Red audibly winced from his seat tucked safely away in the corner of the room, "Heh. Guess that's the Boss" he shrugged nervously, red beading on the base of his skull.

"Whaddya do?" You inquired, meeting his gaze.

"Heheh, uh...I MAY have um...dumped my dirty socks in his office after I got pissed at 'im?" He rubbed the back of his skull nervously.

Stretch gaped, "Shit-"

"-Language!"

"You're fucked," Slim mused. You just snickered at Papyrus' long disappointed sigh.

"I Bid You Good Luck Then, Red."

Red gulped, "Heheh, yeah..."

"RED!" A voice boomed from below, causing all of you to jump and no sooner did Red disappear in thin air.  
It was silent for a second, no one having any idea of what to say or do, and you idly considered going to find Sans, if he wasn't awake before-he definitely was now.

"Whelp. Should probably go and welcome my bro' home," Stretch sighed, slinking off the couch, "Later," he waved before also taking a shortcut downstairs where loud chatter could be heard. 

You also got up to leave alongside Papyrus, briefly glancing back at Slim as a form of 'see you later'. He seemed to get the message as you both left. You both walked downstairs in silence, "I should probably go and find Sans. See if he's awake."

"Ah Yes, That Is Probably A Good Idea. I'd Say That He'd Have Trouble Sleeping If He Slept All Day-But This Is My Brother We're Talking About."

"Heh," you shoved your hands in your shorts-another pair given to you (probably by Red). You didn't know why you just didn't go shopping for your own clothes (You were beginning to think Classic didn't want you guys in public for reasons other than just for 'wanting you to settle in first'.)

"Oh Dear!" Papyrus halted, and you turned to face him to find out what was up. "It Appears I Left My Plate Upstairs!"

"Your plate?" you mused.

"Yes! I Can't Just Leave It There! I'm No Slob, If You Haven't Noticed," he scolded you lightly. 

"Tch, right. I'll go and grab it. You can run downstairs and say hi to everybody," you offered, feeling in a particularly helpful mood. 

"Ah Thank You Y/n," he ruffled your hair briefly as he seems so fond doing, "I Will See You At Dinner Then?"

You nodded, "Yup," before watching him walk off (which was something akin to a jog by any human’s standards). Turning back the way you came, a sigh escaped your lips as you eyed the stairs, wondering why you brought this upon yourself as you suddenly felt a whole lot less motivated.

Dragging yourself back up two flights of stairs back to the fourth floor, you were slightly surprised to still see Slim laying across the couch. "Don't you have a brother to say hello to?"

He froze before shifting slightly to get a look at you from his position laying down on his chest. "Eh, our room is up here. He'll find me."

"Mm," you hummed uninterestedly before finding Papyrus' plate-and several others. Deciding that you may as well pick up the others while you were here you stacked all of them together.

"Didn't take ya as the neat type," Slim eyed you curiously, half of his face squished against the leather cushion.

You shrugged, "Paps is. Forgot his plate. Told him I'd grab it for him."

"Crooks? Yeah. He's cool."

Shifting the weight of the small collection of plates in your arms, you turned to face Slim, merely giving him an unimpressed look at his attempt of small talk. Deciding it was time to head back down you turned to leave, -

"-Where ya goin'?"

"Downstairs," you stated drily without bothering to glance back at him and instead walking out of the room.

"Not gonna keep me company huh? Ya so cold," he called out to you.

You merely grinned to yourself, chuckling just loud enough for him to hear-making sure to put more weight with each footstep just to exaggerate the sound of you leaving.


	7. LET US OUT

Tuesday morning-it was colder than usual mornings. Then again, it was mid-autumn, the time of dying. Just like you remembered, the emerald green that painted the world begun to be eaten away by swirls of reds, purples and yellows.  
Once again, you found yourself wedged between your two favourite skeletons out on the back veranda watching the sunrise. It was pleasant, just sitting there with your eyes closed, feeling the first stray rays of sunlight peaking over in the horizon illuminating your face, surrounded by the warmth of the two people you trusted most. It was easy to forget everything.

Except moments like that never seemed to last. You rubbed your hands up and down your exposed legs in attempts to scare away the chill biting at the uncovered flesh.  
"Y/n? Are You Getting Cold?" You looked back up at Papyrus who looked down at you with concern, "We Can Go Inside If You Would Like?"

"Nah. I'll survive."

"You sure peaches? You fleshy creatures are pretty fragile ya'know," Sans poked fun at you, jabbing you playfully in the side, "Heheh _I'd know_ " he chuckled suddenly on a darker note and you merely snorted at him. 

"Tch, Calm down, I'm not gonna freeze to death-not after Snowdin."

"Fair 'nough." You grinned, before swinging your legs up to instead lean on Papyrus, legs resting on Sans' lap.

"Warm me up, won't ya?" You grinned widely, gauging his reaction as he merely stared at you with a manic grin of his own before settling his arms on top of your legs-providing them with his own warmth. You smiled pleased, easing into Papyrus' side.

"Hmm, We Will Have To Ask For Some Warmer Clothes, At Least For You, Won't We? " Papyrus noted, speaking more to himself in thought rather than anyone particular, but you hummed in reply anyway.  
You'd speak to Classic today about going shopping for some better clothing-you couldn't live in other people’s spare clothing forever, and even though you still had your own currently in the wash, three changes of clothing wasn't liveable. From what you'd seen, he seemed an alright enough guy-but that didn't mean you liked him. If he was anything like the Sans you knew, you imagined he'd be quite cold and probably stubborn too.  
You just hoped he didn't use that stubbornness against you. 

After another half an hour or so, some of the other members of the household began waking up, and the three of you got up, Sans so he could go back to bed and Papyrus to the kitchen. You trailed behind Papyrus, before tiredly slinking into your chair at the dining table (you were sometimes tempted to go in and help out, but letting you inside such a room for long periods of time were never a good idea).

"Good Morning Human!" You jolted slightly from your spot at the sudden noise, and twisted in your spot to face the loud voice behind you.

"Mornin' Blue."

"How Did You Sleep?"

You merely nodded, a silent 'good', slightly surprised that he had come up to you and said good morning. Last time you'd spoken was on Sunday and he had left noticeably warier of you then he had started. "You?"

"Very Well!" He beamed, placing his hands on his hips, "Well, I Best Start On Breakfast! I Will Talk To You Later!"

Later? 

Your eyes followed the retreating skeleton, only to find two other small skeletons standing by the doorway when you looked back. Black-Mutts brother you believe, merely scowled at you (the only expression he seemed capable of making) as he stormed into the kitchen barking something obnoxiously at the others-though the second shorter skeleton lingered-the one you had previously described as an oversized grape. 

Razz (though grapes would definitely be better), as he had introduced himself as the first day you'd gotten here, stared curiously at you, the purple lights forming some sort of triangle in his sockets expanding for a second, before he seemed to make up his mind about something. Sliding to turn back around, you paused in your actions and looked back at Razz as his voice caught your attention.

"Human!"

You rested your chin on the back of your chair, eyeing him curiously as he strode over to you. "Yeah?"

He didn't answer you straight away, instead staring at you as if he was observing you, taking in your features with morbid curiosity, "It Has Come To My Attention That We Haven't Formally Met Yet," he started, moving his hands to sit his hands on his hips similarly to Blueberry, "And As Such, Have Taken It Upon Myself To Re-Introduce Myself, I, As You Would Know, Am The Malignant Razz! I Am Sure You Are Honoured To Be In The Presence Of Some As Mighty As I!"

Quirking an eyebrow you snickered at Razz-he was like a more obnoxious version of your first impression of Papyrus when you'd first met four years ago. "Sure," you agreed more out of sating the skeleton in front of you, and not necessarily because you actually agreed. 

"I Must Admit, You Are The First Human I've Seen Up This Close! You Look A Lot Softer And Weaker Than I Had Imagined."

"Weak?" You barked out laughing, spinning in your spot to instead sit backwards on your chair, "Maybe looks can deceive," you mused playfully. Despite choosing to comment on the last sentence of his comment, you hadn't missed the part about being the first human he'd seen up close. "How long have ya' been in this universe for you to have not seen a human up close yet?'

"Only A Week Before Yourself Human!"

A...week? 

"And...your allowed to go out into public? After only being here for a week?"

"Of Course!" You'd been here about that same time. You frowned. This was more reason to talk to Classic about this -no-going-out ban. You felt like a twelve-year-old kid being grounded. In your silence Razz had taken it upon himself to gently pinch and prod at the flesh of your arm resting on top of the chair. "Hmm, Are You Sure About The 'Looks Can Deceive' Thing? You Feel Awfully Soft And Weak too." 

"Tch," a smug grin settled on your expression, "You know you really shouldn't get so close."

"And Why Is That?"

**"I bite."**

Razz's sockets widened, before he pulled his arms away only to cross them across his chest, "I'm Not Entirely Sure How Your Teeth Would Fair Chewing Into Bone," he huffed back wryly at you.

"Mm," you hummed, leaning forward in your chair to stare deeply into his sockets with a teasing smirk curving on your lips, "Why don't cha come closer and we can find out?"

Razz's gaze flickered across your own, before leaning forward sceptically. 

You paused.  
Did he-  
Did he just _actually_ lean forward so you could bite him?  
Pff-

"-fft!" You fell back in your chair, back hitting the table as you clutched at your stomach, wheezing. "Geez, I didn't realise just how eager you'd be about me getting a _taste_ of ya. Don't worry, I don't mind _licking your bones clean,_ but maybe we should save it for later."

At first he looked taken aback, before he straightened, a-was that a blush? Spreading across his cheekbones before he gave you a pointedly unimpressed look. "Lick My Bones Clean?" His bone brows furrowed in disgust, "I'm Not Sur-" Ding Ding. He straightened and gaped widely as he finally got the gist of what you were saying, "HUMAN! That Is Incredibly Lewd! Please Watch Your Tongue Next Time, Or You Just May Loose It!" He scolded you sternly, but you merely laughed in return.

"Go on, put your fingers anywhere near my mouth- _watch what happens,_ " you mused darkly and were pleased to find you weren't the only one who thought it was funny, by the sly smirk pulling at Razz's teeth. 

"I Can Assure You Human, You Will Never Get The Chance-For You See, The Malignant Razz Is Far Too Quick! You Will Have Lost Your Tongue Before You Got The Chance To Shut Your Mouth," he boasted, seemingly very confident in his words-but you acknowledged the playful undertones of his claims. 

"You su-"

"RAZZ!" The both of you jumped at the loud exclamation of his name, turning to face Black, who was standing by the kitchen door and tapping his heeled boot impatiently, "Are You Helping Make Breakfast Or Not?" He hissed venomously without so much as a glance your way. 

Well, somebody had obviously accidently twisted a joint the wrong way and gotten a bone stuck up their arse.

"Ah, Yes," He replied, taking a quick glance at you before scrambling away, "Well, Until Next Time, Human."

You watched with mild interest as the two skeletons disappeared in the kitchen, sitting comfortably in your backwards position against the chair for a few minutes longer before twisting back around when breakfast was served. 

\----

You waited patiently outside Classic's door, hands shoved comfortably in your pockets after you had knocked. It was silent and you briefly wondered If he wasn't inside. His brother had said he would be when you consulted him about it after breakfast-apparently he was not working until later on today. Thankfully a few moments later you heard shuffling from inside until the door knob jiggled and the door opened. 

"Uh-Y/n?"

You gave Classic a brief once over- noting he looked tired. "Need to talk to you bout something, if that's alright?"

"Uh yeah," he nodded, shuffling out of the way holding the door open for you, "Come in."  
Observing the room, you noted it half looked like an office, with cabinets and a desk decorating the room, his bed wedged in the far away corner. The entire room was a bit of a pig sty-there was even a rubbish cyclone whirling in the other side of the room. "So, what did ya want?"

Classic's door clicked shut, and you turned back around to face him, trying to appear as casual as possible-call it sucking up to the boss if you will. "We've been here almost for a week now," you started, as he nodded slowly at your words as if to confirm them, "And I'd say we've been settling fairly well..."

"Uh yeah, that's good?" He obviously didn't know where you were going with this.

With a huff you pulled a hand out of your pockets to instead run it through your hair, "So don't you think it's time you let us go out? Go shopping? We can't go around wearing other people’s clothes all of the time-'specially not Papyrus, he's a lot bigger then all of ya's-nothing fits em right. Hell, even Sans-"

"No."

You froze. Eyes finding Classic's after noticing they had started to creep up the wall beside him as you spoke. It took you only a second to register his words, and you narrowed your eyes at him, "What do you mean by 'No'?"

Classic visibly looked tense, stiff, "I meant 'No'-no means no."

Gaze hardening, you sighed deeply, deciding to be civil about this and re-tucking your hands in your pockets to hide the way they twitched in annoyance. "And why's that?"

"Cause I said so bud'," his words were firm-final, "Is that it? Or are we done here?"

"Nah," you eyed him suspiciously, "I wanna know why ya won't let us leave the house." His own gaze hardened as yours did, you could tell you were getting on his nerves now.

"Listen, enough with the questions. Just do as I say, _alrig-_ "

You took a single long threatening step forward-enough to fill the distance between the two of you until you were hovering over him. Something sinister had twisted on your features as you bent down to look Classic dead in the eye, his own pinpricks shrinking as you do.  
"Nah, you listen 'Bud', I ain't leaving here until I- _at the very least,_ know why the hell you don't want us in public." He paused, before taking a step back and away from you, moving his jaw to speak, "-And **don't** bullshit me and say it's for our sake."

His teeth snapped together with a click, his own hands shoved into his hoodie's pockets as he seemed to consider you, before his expression darkened. **"Get Out."**

Oh,-oh that pissed you right off. You could feel your fingers wringing against each other nervously -itching, to be used. Itching to grab the nearest object and hurtle it at the monster in front of you- _hit him against the skull with it-_ **Make** him shut up-pounce on top of him and **sink your teeth into-**.

You were thrown out of your thoughts-literally, as you realised you had subconsciously leaped at Classic and been swung across the room by some invisible force- _gravity magic,_ you determined sourly. Pinned against the wall, you thrashed and snarled at the skeleton in front of you.

"Woah-just calm down kid-" You growled threateningly at him-fully aware of the blue sweat beading on his skull, "J-just stop fightin' kid-" he huffed, visibly tiring as you fought against his magic. "Calm do-"

You broke free.

Next thing you knew you found Classic pinned underneath you-apparently dazed, though upon registering what had just happened, his eye lights faded leaving empty sockets to instead stare back up at you. Glowering down at him-you weren't sure what you were going to do with him, and you guess you'd never get to find out as you were yanked back by the collar of your shirt and thrown at least a feet away from him.  
You hit your head harshly against the side of Classic's wooden desk. Ignoring the sharp pain throbbing at the back of your skull you move to get back up when you felt another force hold you down by your soul.

Stretch was helping Classic stand up, where you notice the door had been thrown open behind them. Classic tenderly rubbed the back of his skull as both of them turn to face you, both expressions showcasing anger directed right at you.  
You clench your teeth and met their gazes confidently, feeling the primal anger that had manipulated your body just a second ago rapidly vanishing. As the adrenaline settled, your scowl instead settled into a tired smirk as the two discussed something together-you weren't in the right mindset to focus. At this point you didn't even bother to fight against the (probably Stretch's) magic pinning you to the side of the desk. 

"Yo," you peeled your eyes open only just having realised you'd almost fallen asleep to find Stretch crouching eye level to you, "Ain't gonna jump at one of us, will ya?"

You met his gaze nonchalantly, debating on whether to answer him or not-he'd eventually have to let go of your soul either way. "Nah."  
Your answer seemed to sate him, as he looked back up to Classic who only nodded in return, and in less then a second you instantly felt lighter. The two had moved to the opposite end of the room, watching you defensively in case you tried anything.  
In return you merely tossed them an unimpressed look and made a show of lazily standing to your feet, returning your hands back to your pockets- where it was safest for them to be. 

"Look, Y/n," Classic spoke after you had managed to find your way to your feet, "There's gonna have to be some consequences for this. We can't have you going around fighting people."  
You didn't reply, merely stared him down, much like the way one wound stare down it's prey. You could tell the malice swirling playfully in your eyes was unnerving him as he nervously looked away, shifting weight from leg to leg. "Understood?"

Dragging on the silence a second longer, you finally relent, "Alright. I accept whatever 'consequences' you have in store for me, Classic," you mused, casually approaching him once again, brushing off the warning look you received from Stretch as you did so and stopped mere centimetres away, your own face hovering over his, "But I do expect that answer to my question sooner or later, **understood?** "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof.  
> Looks like MC finally lost her patience.  
> What happens now?
> 
> These invisible notes are super creepy and ominous lol. BTW MC would have dusted Classic if Stretch hadn't interrupted. Maybe it would have gone differently in another timeline... 


	8. DINNER AND DINE

Whelp. It seems you got stuck with dinner duty.  
Which would be fine-you knew your way around a kitchen, except you had to share it with about six other people. Six other skeletons to be exact. Two of which are on less than friendly terms with you. That and they had a whole collection of knives and other sharp objects laying around in there.  
Yeah, you're not sure whose idea that was-but they fucked up.

When you told Sans about what happened when you talked to Classic- he was pissed. Not pissed at you-but at Classic, said he would have done the same thing you did in your position. In fact he'd threatened to dust the other version of himself, mind made up and already slipping out the door with a sharp tug to his eye socket-only for you to grab him by the sleeve and inform him that there was no point (he eventually relented).  
You were pleased to find he supported your decision, and while Papyrus was slightly discouraging at the unnecessary use of violence, he also believed you weren't in the wrong. As punishment you were giving dinner duty and your 'grounding' had been prolonged until an 'undetermined date'. Which meant - _probably not anytime soon._

Well. Sharing a kitchen with some strange alternate versions of Sans and Papyrus couldn't be too bad you figured. You just had to keep yourself preoccupied from... certain items.

It wasn't currently time for dinner for another couple of hours, Papyrus informed you, instead, you had managed to pin him down and spend some time together.  
While technically you weren't allowed out of 'the house', you figured the backyard technically counts too. As such, you and Papyrus had found yourself wandering deeper into the forest behind Classic's home, looking for some suitable areas to set up a few traps. Meat from the supermarket was good-but freshly caught stuff was better.  
That and there was a certain thrill that came along with catching your own food-a habit you imagine you will never live down. Hunting was a part of you now, just because you were no longer back _there_ didn't mean you were all of a sudden reverted back to your old ways-no. You were someone different now. For better or for worse-it was better to just accept life for the way it is and not question the 'what ifs'.  
You don't like thinking about what might have happened if you did.

You could hear the pure vastness of wildlife here, progressively getting louder the further you ventured. The sing song of birds and the clicking and gurgling of other wildlife- It seemed so much louder than you previously remembered. You were so used to the emptiness of the underground-the mind numbing _silence._

Stray leaves and branches crunched underneath your feet as you walked, glancing up you turned to face Papyrus as he looked up in the branches of the tree's in awe-observing the innumerable species of birds and other wildlife as they chirped and clung to the bark of trees.  
The woods around you were thriving, and if it came as big of a shock as it did to you from not seeing it in so long-you could only imagine what it must be like for Papyrus.  
You felt a sting of disappointment settle in your stomach as you wished you had learned more about different flora and fauna so you could point it out to him. 

"Mm, This Seems Like An Appropriate Spot," Papyrus commented, observing a particularly large and sturdy tree. It was a little darker over here because of the denseness of the trees, which only provided as better cover for your traps.

"Good spot to set the bigger net, yeah?" Papyrus hummed in reply. You slid the slightly torn backpack that you had snagged from the shed from your shoulders and dropped it to the ground, rummaging around for the appropriate net. Successfully finding it, you pulled it out and gave it a quick inspection before the two of you unravelled it together. You'd be setting up the classic 'net hidden under leaves' trap that you'd see in the movies that the protagonist almost always got caught up in. 

You helped Papyrus thread the rope through the net before walking over to the tree. Papyrus held you by the waist and helped hoist you up, so you were sitting with a leg on either side of one of the branches, looping the rope around a couple times before finally tying everything together. "Hmm, looks just about done," you commented as Papyrus carefully fiddled with the trigger to make a few adjustments.

"Need To Make Sure It Works First."

"Well, go on then, give it a try," you grinned.

"Must I? If I Recall Correctly It Was Your Turn This Time."

"Mm, I dunno..."

Papyrus sighed, warily looking over to the area the net was hidden. "Very Well..."he grumbled before stepping over and purposely setting of the trap. The net scooped him up and brought him up several metres in the air, the nets pushing his body together in a foetal position, and just to make matters better for Papyrus, you made sure to laugh extra loud. 

Deciding to have mercy on Papyrus after his long, exaggerated sighing, you grabbed the tied rope from the branch and loosened it slowly, settling Papyrus gently down on the ground (as funny as it would have been to simply drop him-he would have gotten you back twice as bad right when you least expected it). 

The inhumanely sized skeleton untangled himself from the net, brushing any leaves and dirt off from his arms and began to carefully reset the trap. Swinging a leg over the branch so both were on the same side, you turned around to climb down, using any kind of slope in the tree as steps. Finding you were beginning to slip, you simply jumped down from about a metre up-not high, but it didn't stop the sharp pain shooting up your leg from your bad ankle.

God damn that hurt. That ankle would be the death of you.  
Crouching down, you pushed your sock to the base of your ankle revealing the dimple like scars wrapping around your ankle from the beartrap you had step on all those years ago. You didn't know the extent of the damage very well considering there were no doctors or medical service of any kind underground, but you think you must have fractured it. Years of constantly using it made it so that it never properly healed and made it worse than it would have otherwise been. Guess you just got to suck it up and deal with it. Pulling your sock back up you got to your feet, you lifted your head to find Papyrus standing in front of you-observing you.

"Does It Hurt?"

Clicking your tongue against the back of your mouth you shrugged, "Not really. Only when I put lots of pressure on it." He seemed to consider your answer, before nodding and helping to pick up the backpacks brought along with you to go find somewhere to set up the smaller traps.

You had no doubt that you would have caught plenty by tomorrow morning, and thankfully for you, there was conveniently a very large freezer tucked away in the corner of the shed. Perhaps you didn't _need_ all the extra food, but Papyrus seemed to enjoy himself and you could never have enough food.  
Just in case.

\----

Stepping in the kitchen alongside of Papyrus, you immediately became the centre of attention, with Blueberry and Classic's brother greeting you warmly, Razz nodding to you in acknowledgement and Both Black and Edge scowling down at you.  
You took no note of some of the...less friendly welcomes and instead opted to listen as Classic's brother started assigning jobs and listing instructions. Alike the others, you set off to do your part. Apparently, you and Classic's brother himself would be working on the spaghetti, while the others would be cooking their own preferred foods for everyone.  
Classics' Brother opened the fridge and begun pulling out ingredients, setting them neatly on the table next to the chopping board. 

"Here!" You looked down to find the hilt of a slick silver knife-a _sharp_ silver knife. You felt your fingers twitch as you hesitantly accepted the blade, shifting the weight of the metal between fingers.

You all of a suddenly didn't feel very comfortable being in such a _small_ space with so _many_ people, surrounded by so many **sharp** things.  
You ignored the itching at the back of your mind and the occasional twitch of your hand at the feeling of the cool metal as you sliced through the tomato, the watery red coloured juice running onto the ends of your fingers.  
You diced all of the tomatoes into small squares before moving them into a bowl to start making the sauce. Classic's brother had originally commented that you were doing it wrong ("Human, Where Is The Passion?!"), but you has insisted that you preferred to do it this way and he relented. 

As you began to grind the tomatoes against the bowl along with a mixture of other ingredients until it started to from a thick, dark red paste, you felt your stomach churn. It looked so very similar too...  
Yeah, you were very uncomfortable with this. Your grip tightened against the edge of the bowl as you fought to not look over at the stained knife teasing you at the edge of your vision. Gritting your teeth yo-

"MOVE!" You were rudely shoved back several steps and effectively distracted from your thoughts. Glaring down at you currently was Edge, and you were slightly surprised to say the least (you think this was the first time he'd uttered even a single word at you). "Well? What's With The Staring! Get Back To Work!"

Eyebrows furrowing, you glared coolly back at the oversized prick, "Awful confident for someone with no real authority ain't cha?"

Metaphorical fire burned in Edge's sockets as he took a threatening step towards you, "Pardon Me Human? Would You Like To Repeat Th-"

"Woah! You Two Alright Over Here?" Papyrus stepped in, looking at you nervously then back over at Edge, separating the two of you with his arms.

Edge scowled and brushed away Papyrus' arms, which only caused you to narrow your eyes at the prick. "Do Not Touch Me! And As For Us, It Is None Of Your Concern, Or Is Your Human Not Capable Of Taking Care Of Herself?" He mocked, skewering you with a look of utter irritation. 

"Tch. Really? You're the one picking fights with people half your size you cowar-"

"Both Of You!" Once again interrupted, this time by Blue, you realised the two of you had captured the entire kitchen's attention. "Stop Fighting! Now Isn't The Time."

You searched Blue's expression as he sternly looked at you. You shrugged. "Yeah. Sorry. Whatever."  
You turned back around to finish the sauce you had been working on, ignoring the dirty look thrown your way from Edge as he walked away muttering grumpily under his breath. 

"Hmm, You'll Have To Work On That Temper Of Yours Human," Classic's brother stated casually, throwing an entire box of pasta into a bowl without any water, box and all, "That Is What Got You Here In The First Place, Correct?" He inquired. Meeting his curious gaze, you merely shrugged before moving over and taking the pasta box out of the empty pot. "What Are You Doing Human?"

" 'M teaching you how I learnt to make it," you answered plainly, filling the pot up with water before returning it on it’s place on the stove before ripping open the pasta box with your teeth.

"Oh! Wowie! There Is More Than One Way To Cook Spaghetti? And You're Teaching Me?" You merely nodded in reply, dumping the pasta in the pot before turning the heat on to the appropriate level. Original Papyrus gasped in realisation "This... Must...This Must Mean This Is A Special Ritual Of Friendship! Human! Are We...Friends?"

…what? Tensing, you slowly turned to find the skeleton in front of you staring excitedly at you. He...wanted to be...friends?  
You stared warily at the monster-the monster that mind you, looked exactly like your Papyrus would have before he'd gotten his teeth beaten in and was forced to resort to cannibalism to survive, and here he was-asking to be 'friends'. It felt...wrong? unfair? unjust?  
You were essentially staring at your Papyrus had a few things gone differently- the lucky Papyrus, and it hurt you to think about. 

"Eh, don't know about that," you watched the skeleton beside you tense-obviously surprised, then visibly deflate. You almost felt bad. You didn't mean to be rude (you don't think you ever could be to someone so eerily similar to your Papyrus), but you couldn't force yourself to say yes. "Maybe we can be after I get to know you better?" you offered, in hopes of eradicating the suddenly very heavy atmosphere. He perked up instantly.

"Really?" You shrugged. "Well Then! I, The Great Papyrus-" it felt weird hearing that sentence come out of somebody else mouth other than your Papyrus', "-Accept Your Challenge!" Wait, challenge? "I Shall Participate In The 'Bonding Activities' With You, And As Such, Become So Close With You-You'll Have To Be My Friend!"

Okay um, you did not sign up for this. 

"Uhhh…" you trailed off, but he seemed to take that as a 'sure' as he hummed to himself with an even wider grin then before as he continued to make dinner. 

…

Whatever. 

The rest of the process of making dinner went without any further interruptions, you made sure to make way for the other people in the kitchen-especially Edge and Black, not wanting to start a fuss when you were already in trouble. You'd also dumped all the sharp objects in your proximity in the sink, received a few strange looks from doing so, but it was better that way. Out of sight- out of mind. 

At the dinner table you had made sure to sit in between Sans and Papyrus, feeling most comfortable in their presences. Plus after the near episode in the kitchen...you didn't feel like doing much, especially have to talk or interact with anyone.  
Sans and Papyrus seemed to subconsciously pick up on that, having similarly experienced the same thing from time to time before, nowadays you all just seemed to pick up on how the other was feeling without needed to even talk to them as they subtly used their bodies to hide others viewing you. It was something you'd never been able to do with anyone else-let alone a human. You'd figured it had something to do with their magic and the whole being able to feel intent thing. Despite your purposeful attempt to lay low, you couldn't help sparing a few glares Classic's way-in which he only bothered to meet once, immediately putting your glares to rest with his own spine-chilling grin that spelt warning.  
You grit your teeth and didn't look back up from your plate only tensing briefly as Sans' arms snaked around your shoulders to pull you close, and instead picked up glaring at Classic in your place. Classic seemed to let it pass-seeing as Sans had already built a reputation for his eerie staring anyway. 

You were especially relieved when your face hit your bed that night, all the stress of the day disappearing as you slipped under your sheets. You just wanted to sleep and never wake up. 

….  
heh.  
that was funny.

Just how many times had you forced yourself to stay awake in fear that if you closed your eyes, you'd never open them?  
Sometimes it still ate at you-that fear.  
You'd learn how to swallow your nerves, ignore the fear.  
Though sometimes it became so overwhelming that you couldn't help but give into it.

You remembered all the nights where you were so _hungry,_ that you didn't have the strength to support yourself-were so weak you couldn't even hold your head up, instead you were left weak, vulnerable. Alone.  
Of course conditions improved after having been taken in by the skeleton brothers-but while having a roof on top of your head was an improvement-it didn't change the fact that you were all slowly **starving.**

….  
Annnnd Great.

You wouldn't be sleeping tonight, you realised as you stared up blankly at the darkness of the room. You hated nights like these. Nights where you couldn't sleep, and you were instead left alone,

left to your thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp-looks like MC and Sans have opted to lay low for a while-  
> probably for the best really.
> 
> Who knows what would happen next time one of them steps out of line.
> 
> (also, seriously- who thought it was a good idea to put her in the room full of knives?)
> 
> A knife is no stick or stone but they'll still leave their mark on those bones. I'm sure some of the skeletons are _very_ familiar with them. 


	9. NERVOUS HABITS

You were a little surprised to have woken up to find Sans waiting by the side of your bed.  
It was something he did your first few weeks after living with him-though he still did occasionally. You'd gotten so use to his dead staring at this point that you'd forgotten it was supposed to be creepy.  
Once again, it was still dark, darker than when you usually got up. He must have woken up even before Papyrus you idly noted. Sitting up in your bed, you rested you head in the palm of your hand. "Morning," you yawned, tenderly rubbing the sleep out of your eyes.

"Didn't wake ya up did I?"

"Nah," you slid out of bed and Sans' gaze followed you as you shuffled across the room to find a clean change of clothing, "Just wake up earlier than usual sometimes."  
Sans was silent from behind you as you pulled out a pair of shorts and a jumper practically identical to the one currently half-falling off of you from a restless night’s sleep, but you could still feel his gaze on the back of your head. "What about you?"

"..."

Throwing the spare change of clothes of your shoulder you turned around to quirk an eyebrow at him in question. "Sans? C'mon. Talk to me."

"Don't like the people here," he finally grumbled, staring down at his tennis shoes. You paused before nodding to yourself in understanding.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," you agreed sourly. "We'll survive though, won't we?" You shuffled closer with the same small grin you always wore whenever one of the three of you said the same thing. Sans raised his skull to stare at you, the large swollen light in one of his sockets swelling briefly, before he nodded. He didn't give too much else of a response, but you could tell he was in a considerably better mood as he went to sit on your bed to wait for you to go shower, staring down at his lap with his usual manic grin stretched across his skull.

By the time you'd gotten out of the shower you found Papyrus waiting alongside Sans, in which the two were quietly bickering to each other. "Morning Paps," you greeted, running a hand through the knots in your still wet hair.

"Ah! Morning Y/n," he turned to face you, "Are You Ready To Go Outside? We'll Have To Go See If Our Traps Caught Anything After Breakfast."

"You guys set up traps?" You nodded in reply to Sans' sudden comment.

"Yeah, upset that you missed out on the fun?" Sans merely rolled his one large eye light at you, "Even got Pap's to try out the bigger net." This time his eye light moved to Papyrus, as his grin pulled at the edges.

" 'S that right?"

With another exaggeratedly long sigh that he seemed ever so found of making, Papyrus deadpanned at the two of you, "Yes, Yes, You'll Laugh Now Until Your Turn."  
That got the two of you to shut up.

As per usual, the three of you escaped back outside, huddling together on the small veranda lounge, despite there being more than enough different seats for each of you to sit on (you knew it was to keep you warm-a habit they started after your close call with hyperthermia one time). 

Sitting in silence, you found the minutes slipped by, until the lights inside slowly started to flicker on one by one as the less lazy brothers got up for the day. As your small routine went-Sans disappeared back in his room and you waited where you always did.  
You were less surprised when Blue gave you a brief 'good morning' once again but you were more so when Razz apparently decided to join in. You guess people were becoming more familiar with you.  
It felt strange. To know someone for just a week and to have them already be on somewhat 'friendly' terms as you.  
You wondered what it must have been like for them back underground.  
Probably nicer. Certain skeletons here looked more roughed up-scars and all. Though you couldn't help the heavy feeling that settled in your stomach, that whatever they did to get by underground was _nothing_ like the things you guys had to. 

As everyone got up for the day you once again found yourself beside Blue-with Sans and Papyrus sitting in the two chairs beside you. You swiftly shoved everything on your plate into your mouth, having picked up the habit of eating for the sake of not starving rather than actually enjoying the food for what it is. Your serving was probably twice of that of Blueberries, while Sans was three times that and Papyrus four times (then again, Papyrus was a large monster). 

You decided to wait at the dining table with everyone else even as you scraped up the last bite on your plate, as you were still waiting for Papyrus so you could go out and check the traps. You were interrupted from staring blankly down at your plate when you felt somebodies warm gaze brush over you-something you had become hypersensitive of after years of being hunted the first two years underground (especially by Sans). Looking upwards to find the culprit, you locked eyes with Edge who immediately scowled at you and turned away to instead yack at somebody else.  
You felt Sans stiffen in the seat next to you. You had known that he knew about the little encounter you had with Edge yesterday, and knew his patience was running thin with the scowling skeleton. His fingers twitched-completely visible as they sat on the kitchen table, before he abruptly pulled them back to hide his hands under the table-you knew he was itching to get his hands on his axe, though as a basic rule that stood even back in the underground was 'No sharp objects at the dinner table', as Papyrus had insisted. 

You could tell Sans felt at ease whenever he carried the sharp object with him, despite the fact that things had quickly grown tense between him and everyone else because of it. Now it seemed less like he was avoiding everyone else and rather they were avoiding him. 

Feeling particularly productive you helped clean up breakfast that morning (which several of the more excitable skeletons seemed very pleased to find). You just hoped that they didn't expect you to make a habit out of it, when you really just did it so you and Papyrus could leave quicker.  
"Have You Eaten Enough?" Papyrus asked, his own twist for 'Did you enjoy breakfast' as he slid the back door open for you.

"Yup," you popped the 'p' as you instead took the lead, marching into the forest. It was a swift trip to your first trap as after plenty of experience, you had learnt to navigate bushland very well. Even if you had forgotten where you had laid them out you could probably have tracked them down from the particularly careless trails you both left yesterday. 

The two of you were both pleased to find something had caught in your largest net- a deer fawn. The small creature had gone limp in the net-not dead, it probably had just struggled fruitlessly to the point of exhaustion. Welp. Just made things easier for you. Papyrus once again gave you a boost up into the branch (no point ruining a perfectly good trap by cutting the rope), as you slowly eased the net to the ground-not wanting to wake the sleeping baby deer.  
It appears its mother must have abandoned it, probably realising there was no getting her kid down. 

Papyrus made quick work of hoisting the small deer into his lap so as to get a good grip on it. It was only now you noticed it's beady black eyes were indeed, still open. Geez. You almost felt bad, being familiar with being too exhausted to move. Welp. Too late now. Papyrus' skeletal fingers hesitantly curled around the animals neck as he observed it-nothing this big ever fell in the underground. As the baby deer seemed to blink at him, he sighed, hands expertly moving around it's head. Not even a second later followed the familiar crunch of snapped bone.  
The two of you would probably have to gut anything you found out here, as you doubted Classic would appreciate blood all around his shed. 

Moving to once again get out of the tree (and silently hoping you wouldn't land harshly on your bad ankle again), you jolted at the unexpected touch of Papyrus as his giant hands curled around your sides to instead lift you out of the tree himself, gently planting your feet back on the ground. "Thanks." He nodded in reply before crouching back over to the dead deer and you followed after a second, pulling out the carving and skinning knives the job required.

Skinning and packing away everything you found in your traps didn't take too long, the both of you were out for probably two hours at most-but reeked of death.  
You inspected your blood stained clothing, a common look that all three of you often sported back underground.  
Like you had predicted, all of your traps caught because of the vast amount of life flourishing here-a simply marvellous place to go hunting. Returning home, Papyrus wrapped most of your winnings and tucked them away in the freezer in the Shed, except for most of the deer meat in which he put away in the fridge back inside for dinner tonight. He only put the muscle tissue of the deer in the fridge, figuring that the rest of the household wouldn't much appreciate eating it's organs (You'd have to help Papyrus make his Organ Stew some other day).  
Papyrus had kept the deer hide, apparently wanting to stitch together a coat for yourself truly after he cleaned it up ("It Is Getting Far Too Cold To Be Wearing Such Thin Clothes!).

After packing away everything you both made haste to make it back to your rooms to change clothing (you can't imagine what it might look like if someone where to find the both of you covered in blood-especially as tense as things are currently). While you and Papyrus both had few tricks up to your sleeve when it came to washing blood, stains always did remain, so you figured you'd have to stash your newly dedicated 'hunting clothes' away for now before hopping back into the shower.

\----  
You ended up finding Sans sitting in the far corner of the main loungeroom staring blankly at the television without really paying any attention, a single phalange crawling up and slipping into his empty socket to give it a harsh tug as he did so.  
You frowned. It was obvious something was getting on his nerves if he was slipping right back into his nervous habits. His axe-newly sharpened sat by his foot as he grinned up at the TV. As you walked in front of the lounges to take a seat yourself, you found Mutt had already beaten you to it-popping into existence.  
Raising a brow in question, he simply gave you a raspy laugh in return as you instead sat on one of the single seaters on the opposite side of the room from Sans as he only seemed to just now notice your presence. 

Sinking into the comfy seat, you tried to figure out what the hell you were watching. It looked like some kind of documentary on...crossdressing?

You hadn't noticed Mutt sit up on the lounge beside yours until you felt the hard flick of his fingers against your temple, eyes immediately sliding to meet Mutt's. "It that time of month?" he rasped lazily. You gave him a curious look to which he just shrugged, "You reek 'a blood," he explained.

"Huh, sure that's my blood your smellin' there bud?" 

" 'S comin' from ya."

"Don't mean it's mine," you smirked, knowing from his pause that he caught onto the subtle joke. 

"Tch. Didn't realise you had actual _skeletons_ hidin' in your closet," he mused, propping his head in his hand to instead eye you curiously. 

"I'd be a _bone_ afied _numbskull_ if I was hiding the bodies in my closet." Mutt snickered, drawing Sans' attention back your way, you merely flashed him a quick smile to let him know everything was alright and he looked back to the TV.

"Sounds like you must have had a real _bone_ to pick with someone. What'd you do? Scare 'em out of their _skin?_ "

"Nah, they said they didn't have the _guts_ to fight me-I just made their statement anatomically correct."

"Nyeheh. That's bruta-"

"Mutt!" You turned to find Black standing by the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, (what was it with this skeleton and interrupting your conversations?) "There You Are! You Have Things To Do! Now Get Off Your Arse!"

Mutt sighed, before rolling off the couch, "Later human," he uttered without glancing back to instead trail lazily behind his brother. You watched the two as they left, before turning back around in your seat to instead face the TV. You found Sans was staring at you, and you patted the armrest of the lounge Mutt was just laying on, "Come here."

Swiping up his axe he shuffled over to you, before collapsing back in the lounge-this time facing the TV. You stared at him for a moment longer, before settling in the single seater by throwing your legs off the side of the armrest and paid attention to the documentary.  
The rest of the day mostly consisted of you watching whatever came on the Tv in the lounge room, occasionally somebody would peek their head in or even sit down on one of the lounges for a bit-but nobody stayed for long. 

Dinner time quickly came along, and you found yourself being swept into the kitchen by the overeager Original Papyrus, as you, once again, were paired with him to once again, make spaghetti. You were beginning to notice that there wasn't much variety in food when it came to meal time (not that it really mattered to you anyway). 

You once again kept to yourself while in the kitchen, keeping the talk to the minimum whilst showing Classic's brother 'your method of cooking'-or just how it was supposed to be made. You were beginning to realise why everyone was so shocked when you guys ate so much of it-honestly, you couldn't even really taste it the first few times you had eaten anything here, you were too occupied trying to shovel it into your mouth and sate the mind-clawing hunger.

Overall, you'd consider today a win-you got to spend time with both Sans and Papyrus and spent time around some of the other versions of themselves-and nobody got dusted in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought we'd give MC a bit of a break, aye?
> 
> 'Nobody got dusted in the process'- **yet**


	10. HEAD DOGS

It was early Friday afternoon, and you were once again in the kitchen-though this time not to cook dinner. No, instead about ten minutes earlier Classic's brother had come and found you (to your surprise), as apparently he had every second Friday off of work, and insisted that now would be a great time to engage in 'Friend Bonding Activities' (you were hoping he had forgotten about that).

"Human! For Our First Activity Of Friendly Bonding, I Have Decided That Considering You Have Taught Me Your Method Of How To Cook Spaghetti-That I Should Return The Favour!!! (-Not Making Spaghetti, Of Course)" Yes, well, why else would the two of you be in the kitchen? "Today! We Shall Be Making...."  
He dragged on the dramatic silence as if was about to say the name of the winner of some lotto, "Cream Puffs!"

Cream puffs? huh. You didn't take the skeleton in front of you as the type. Guess you just assumed he had the same tastes as your Papyrus, who generally preferred heartier meals-like **meat.**

"Nyeheh! I Can See Your Surprised Human! While My Preference Is Generally Pasta-A Culinary Master Such As I Has To Step Out Of Their Comfort Zone To Be Great! (Though I Already Am Pretty Great)." 

You hummed in reply, keeping a sharp focus on Papyrus, and ignoring the twitching of your hands inside your pockets. Why did they have to hang so many sharp tools out where they could be easily seen? You ignored the knife rack nailed to the wall. "Right, well. I've never made them before, so teach away."

He moved across the room, opening a cupboard and pulling out...aprons? You hadn't seen these before? Why didn't they use these while they cooked dinner?  
You weren't sure if that was a good sign for what was to come.

You caught the apron he gently tossed your way and tied it around your waist, glancing down to inspect it. You huffed out a laugh you as you read the words on the black apron from upside down-'I Cook As Good As I Look' (must be pretty poorly then-you mused to yourself). You really laughed when you looked up to find Classic's brother in a pink apron with white frills lining the edges-he only looked at you in confusion.

"Well, We Must Begin With The Pastry!" He informed you, pulling out a pot and placing it on the stove. You were a little confused on why a pastry would need a pot but didn't question it (not like you knew how to make them).  
The worst part about not knowing anything about how to make cream puffs was that the excitable skeleton in front of you was free to pour as much of whatever he liked in a bowl and you couldn't question it.  
With a shrug, you decided to wing it along with him, pouring in a quarter of a bag of brown sugar (you weren't given any instructions-let alone any measurements).  
"Human! More Passion! Pour That Sugar In Like You Mean It!!!" The original Papyrus encouraged you, hands on his hips and scarf blowing behind him like a cape (despite there being no wind). 

"Uh, sure?" Hesitantly, you held the bag at a steeper angle, and the entire bag of brown sugar fell in the bowl in one big heap.  
….  
Oops?

"That Is More Like It! Well Done Human!" He praised you, before picking up a wooden spoon and mixing in all the ingredients together in the near overflowing bowl. Parts of the sugar and flour started to fall off the edge and you frowned at the waste of food.

"Hey-uh, do you think I could stir?" He looked over to you happily, before handing you the bowl and wooden spoon.

"Of Course! I Will Prepare The Pans!"

You took the bowl- relieved. Seeing all the ingredients being carelessly spilt was getting on your nerves. This time as you stirred you made sure to be extra careful that nothing spilt. Your wrist had begun to hurt by the time the mixture resembled anything like dough and were very happy to let Classic's brother do everything else for a bit.  
Eventually, it became time to add the cream, and you looked sceptically at the store-bought cream and at the pastries (you were going to have heaps of left-over cream). The skeleton beside you though, didn't hesitate to instead dive straight into adding the cream, at some point finding food dye (you were hoping that it was food dye) and making the cream in the pastries all different colours-some blue, others red, orange, green, yellows, pinks, every shade of the rainbow really. Some point during the entire creaming fiasco you'd gotten dragged along into it, now both yours and Classic's brother had rainbow stained hands and cream creeping up your arms and splattered across your faces.  
Looking up at the tall skeleton, you noticed with some amusement that a large amount of cream had managed to find its way on top of his skull.

"Pppft."

He turned an gave you a curious look, "What Is It Human?"

"You look like a cream puff," you replied honestly, eyeing the cream on his skull. Hey...'Cream-puff', you kinda liked the sound of that. Eyeing the Skeleton frantically rubbing his skull with a tea-towel in attempt to rid himself of the cream, you noted that it would be a good nickname. Would sure beat swapping between calling him 'Classic's brother' and 'Original Papyrus' in your head. 

It took the both of you another 30 minutes to finish, and of course, clean up your mess (there was a lot of it), making sure to put away the rest of the cream to have fun with later. Soon enough, a large tray of cream puffs (if you could even call them that-they certainly didn't look like any cream puffs you've ever eaten), sat on the kitchen counter waiting to be eaten.  
"Well, Cream-Puff, time to dig in."

Cream-Puff, as you've dubbed him, gaped at you, "I Thought I Got Rid Of All The Cream!"

"Heh-you did," you grinned, "Can't help that you naturally look like a cream-puff." He deadpanned at you.

"Human, I'm Not Sure How You Could Mistake Me Fo-" He cut himself off mid-sentence as if he had just realised something, suddenly excited, "-Wait! Nicknames? Human! This Is Another Step Towards Our Inevitable Friendship!"

Raising an eyebrow, you merely shrugged, snatching up one of the cream-puffs on the counter and popping it in your mouth with a hum.

"!!!But This Means...That I Shall Have To Come Up With A Nickname For You!" He lifted his fingers to his chin in thought, humming to himself, "This Is Harder Then Previously Thought Human...I Will Have To Think Over This."

"Sure," you choked out through a mouthful of your third cream-puff.

"And Stop Eating All Of The Cream-Puffs! We Must First Make Sure Everyone Gets Some!" You just snickered a stole a forth, grinning evilly as Cream-puff sighed at you. He moved to pick up the tray, sending you a warning look, only causing your grin to stretch further. 

Guess you're going door-knocking.

\----

Sans was currently in his room, he had been trying to sleep but found himself unable too. Instead he found himself idly staring at his axe twirling his fingers as he sat up on the edge of his bed.  
It was fairly new-not chipped and stained like his cleaver back at home. He still missed it anyway. 

He had been here for a little over a week now-on the surface.  
When news that the barrier had broken-this isn't what he had pictured for the future. He thought going to the surface could easily start another war between humans and monsters, thought that there may be a chance the two races could live together-maybe not in harmony, but at least tolerate each other.  
He had expected literally any other outcome than this one.  
He just had to be whisked away to some other universe right before he could reach the surface.

Sans remembered the feeling, the feeling he got when he heard that they were free. At first he didn't believe it-thought it just some sick, twisted rumour.  
That was until people started packing up and heading over to New Home.  
He had to find the two of you straight away.  
When he found the two of you he noticed both of you seemed oddly quiet, but had thought nothing of it-to preoccupied with the millions of thoughts running through his skull-when the two of you had spotted him, he only managed to force out one thing

" **The barriers broken.** "

He had seen the surprise on all of your faces, seen it change from surprise, to disbelief, to...hope.  
Last thing he remembered was holding onto your hand as Papyrus carried the both of you, quickly travelling towards New Home. Next thing he knew-he's here.  
It was alright-at first.  
The people here fed the three of you-and no one had actively tried to harm any of you, but he certainly didn't like the people here.  
Didn't like the way that 'Original' arsehole treated you, or that Edge prick.  
Didn't like the way all of the other versions of himself and his brother would look at him and Papyrus. With Pity, disgust, like they were freaks.

He really **hated** it. And it was _really_ getting on his nerves.  
He'd been trying to calm his nerves for the past few days now, trying to ignore that _itch_ in the back of his skull that just seemed to _never go away!_  
A animalistic growl slipped from his teeth as he gave himself a harsh tug on his eye socket-pain shooting up the side of his skull, but he did it again anyway for good measure. 

He didn't like sitting around idle like this. Sure-he was a lazy guy at heart, but he was also a hunter, he was also _the butcher._  
He needed to get out-kill a few animals, go hunting. Maybe he should go out with you and Paps tomorrow morning to check all the traps?  
Either way, he needed to get up and do something-anything. Maybe he'd go and check up on you or Papyrus, see how you guys were doing. 

Leaving his room, Sans noticed someone talking from not too far away, and chose to go and follow the sound. Rounding the corner, he found you and that 'Original' Papyrus (The lucky Papyrus) holding a tray of-cream-puffs? While speaking to another version of his brother-Edge. 

"Here You Are Edge!" Not-Papyrus dropped a cream-puff in Edge's clawed hand and he heard him growl.

"What ya got there?" All attention was redirected towards Sans, and he felt his soul clench anxiously-that is until he noticed your reassuring smile and relaxed. He wasn't alone. No need to be so tense-there wasn't any danger.  
His grip tightened on his axe anyway.

"Oh! Axe, Me And The Human Made Cream-Puffs! Would You Like One?" Sans couldn't help but grimace at the nickname, but played it off as a shrug.

"Sure," he replied, strolling up to the tray, and taking two. Not-Papyrus sighed at his apparent greediness, and he grinned manically before deciding to stand beside you. 

"Hmfp! I Do Not Want This Filth!" Edge scowled, inspecting the cream-puff that sat snug between two of his sharpened claws. 

"I'll have it," Sans lazily held his hand out for the cream-puff, already having thrown back the last two.

"No! There Are Plenty Of Others To Choose From," he hissed.

"But you’re not gonna just waste that are you?" You questioned, eyeing the pastry sceptically.

"Mm, She Is Right Edge, You Shouldn't Waste Food If You Can," Sans was pleased to find Not-Papyrus was backing you up. 

Edge merely glared at not-Papyrus, "Really?" He replied dryly, "Just Watch Me-"

" **Don't.** " Sans warned, eye lights vanishing. Edge merely smirked. "Bud' I'm warnin' ya-"

_squish_

The tension in the room was so thick you could choke on it as everyone registered what he did.

Sans gaze drilled into the pastry, now squished in half and then dropped on the floor. He could vaguely make out the feeling of Edge's condescending smirk burning into his skull.

Sans fingers twitched.

He just...He just... _wasted_ it?  
On _purpose?_

In an instant anger exploded inside of him, and Sans' lifted his axe in the air to strike edge.  
Before Edge had noticed what was happening it was too late-Sans was bringing his axe down-except only it seemed Edge was very fast, and narrowly avoided it escaping only with a scratch on his cheekbone. 

By the time Sans had move to crush Edge's ribs with the axe did Edge finally register what was really happening. He scowled darkly, before summoning a narrow, jagged bone with a red hue to fight back. 

You didn't try to stop either of them-merely watched from the sidelines, blankly staring down at what remained of the pastry on the ground. Sans was thankful knowing someone was on his side.  
Though it seemed Not-Papyrus had other plans, as he tried to rush in to break the two skeletons fighting up.

_"Stay Out Of This If You Don't Want To Get Dusted, Moron,"_ Edge gritted out, using the bone to block another strike from Sans' axe, only for it to snap in half upon impact.  
It seemed Not-papyrus heeded Edge's words, and instead left to probably go and find somebody.

Sans was furious, he wanted this pathetic piece of shit **dead.** Each time a strike missed he'd be already throwing another-and while Edge was fast-he was no match for the onslaught of attacks-physical attacks mind you, where realistically a single blow could dust Edge. 

Sans swung his axe at Edge's chest, and he narrowly avoided it by stepping backwards, only to hit a wall as Sans threw him back using his blue magic.  
Edge's eyes narrowed as he prepared another attack, only to get cut off as he realised just how close Sans had gotten to him-how close his axe, in particular had gotten. 

Sans chuckled darkly, sockets dark voids as he stared up at his victim.  
The skeleton in front of him was just a waste of space-just _dust_ -  
Just **Food.**

**"Heheh! ONE HEAD DOG COMING UP!"**  
In one swift motion did Sans lift his axe and swung it forward successfully striking-the wall?

Sans' head rapidly shot left and right to look for the now missing skeleton, only to find him knocked down on the ground by Red. A deep, vicious growl rippled through the air on Sans' part as he tugged the axe out of its place from the wall with ease, watching the two skeletons stand to their feet-it was only then that you quickly moved from your place to take a stand beside Sans. Where you belonged.

"Heheh, I'm about to have a **great** time," Red cackled, left socket bursting into crimson flames as the brothers simultaneously summoned their magic.

The next few minutes were absolute chaos, with Red and Edge summoning their magic bone attacks and narrowly dodging Sans' axe and your attempts to trip them up. Magical bones stuck out from the walls and the floors, destroying everything in their path in the much-to-small-for-battling hallway.  
With every nick or scratch you received the further Sans felt himself slip away until he was battling his instincts to not take over completely.

**"Enough!"**

Everybody froze, slowly directing their attention to Classic, who had suddenly appeared, probably having to shortcut straight over from work. Sans glared daggers at the smaller version of himself- the one that was keeping them _trapped_ here.  
Needless to say, the blue fire aflame in his left socket was more than enough warning to let everyone know one thing-

**They were fucked.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh damn. 
> 
> I don't think the Horrortale trio will be getting off that easy this time.
> 
> Times 'cream' was mentioned: 31
> 
> Secrets never stayed buried, one way or another, they'll all find out. 


	11. STARVATION

You weren't entirely sure why it was necessary to call a 'house meeting' over an incident that only involved four of you. Yet here you were, hands shoved in your pockets as you clenched your jaw to ignore the constant staring from other people. Sans stood to your left, phalanges wrapped tightly on his axe, leaving it to hang by his side as he gaze bored into Edge's from across the room, and finally, Papyrus was behind you, glancing left to right slightly nervously at all the hostile attention.

Currently you found yourself in the very same spot from your very first day here a little over a week ago, with everyone else in similar positions, except Red and Edge who also stood across the room from you.  
Frankly, you were a little upset Papyrus was being dragged into this and not Cream-Puff. Papyrus was never at the scene and knew nothing about the incident earlier today until you filled him in on it-Cream-Puff on the other hand, was there for practically the entire thing. You guessed it was a bias thing considering he was Classic's brother and all.  
Didn't make it fair.

"So," It appeared Stretch had taken it upon himself to stand by Classic and 'evaluate' the situation-by that they really meant _judge_ you.  
You wondered if they were also given the title of 'Judge' in their versions of the underground. You could tell from their cold calculative gazes that it would always be the lazier brothers from each universe that would be given the position if either brother were to be chosen.  
They had a look about them-something that you only saw in Sans time to time, a look as if they were staring into your very soul- assessing your worth. "What happened? From the beginning?"

Neither you, nor Sans or even Papyrus made an attempt to explain, not like you'd have gotten a chance anyhow, considering how Edge jumped at the occasion. "They Attacked Me, I Defended Myself. There's Nothing More To It," he growled, turning the bridge of his nose in the air and crossing his arms like a small child who was just refused lollies would. 

Classic sighed, "Listen Edge, we said the full story-if you can't give it to us then we'll ask someone else."

Edge's gaze dropped to instead glower at Class, "There Is No-"

"He Wasted Food." 

The room fell silent-even the quiet mummers between skeletons slouched against walls or sitting on one of the couches jaws had snapped shut at Papyrus' words. They didn't understand the weight behind his words, as irritated confusion twisted on both Classic's and Stretch's expression.  
They didn't realise what food meant to the three of you-didn't realise how you were forced to survive all these years- of course they didn't understand.

"What do you mean he...wasted food?" Classic questioned, a frown tugging at his usual permanent grin.

Papyrus' mouth open to speak only to clack shut when it seemed Cream-Puff beat him to it-you were glad that he wasn't completely ignoring his own role in this entire incident, "Me And The Human Had Made Cream-Puffs, Brother. We Had Given One To Edge, And Despite Their Warnings He Wasted It Anyway," Cream-Puffs usual confidence in his voice was missing despite speaking at the same volume, almost as if he felt guilty.

Classic seemed to pause and consider this for a moment-only for his bone brows to furrow and expression darken, "Your saying...this entire thing is over a wasted cream puff?" Hesitantly, Cream-Puff nodded, confirming his brothers question. "So, you," Classic looked over to both you and Sans, "... broke a hole in the wall- and tried dusting Edge and Red over...food?" You didn't need to see Classic's expression to hear the anger rising in his tone. 

You clenched your hands together tightly in your pockets, nails digging into the tender flesh of your palms. This whole situation was putting you on edge-you didn't like being the focus of attention like this-didn't like being interrogated like this-didn't like the way Edge and Red stared smugly at you, knowing fully well that you and Sans were about to get the brunt of the trouble. You couldn't help drilling your gaze into Classic as you slowly nodded your head 'Yes'.

At first Classic didn't say anything-nor Stretch or Cream-puff. Everyone seemed surprised-as if getting so upset over wasted food was the most ridiculous thing they'd ever heard of. Stretch was next to give you a mouthful, "What the hell is wrong with you three?"

You flinched at his harsh words-wrong? What was _wrong_ with you?  
You felt like laughing in his face and borrowing Sans' axe to show him just what exactly was _wrong_ with you. 

You'd use his dust as flour.

" **Wrong?** With us?" Sans' laughter was low and humourless, "You don't know anything about us."

"I don't think we need to know anything about you to see you three are kinda freaks," Classic hissed, not bothering to try and play friendly.  
You really didn't like this Classic guy. He was cold and untrustworthy and kept too many secrets-he may have hidden it well, but the real reason he wouldn't let you guys out was slowly being pieced together. He was implying you guys were freaks-that Sans and Papyrus were _freaks,_ because of their injuries.

Is that...is that why he wouldn't let you three go out in public? Because of the way they looked? 

….  
You were going to find a way to dust the disgrace of a monster in front of you-didn't matter how long it took, sooner or later his luck will run out.  
You'd make sure of it.

Sans growled, Papyrus visibly tensing behind you as Sans took a threatening step forward to lunge at Classic, only to be stopped when Papyrus placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Sans looked backwards in confusion, fire still in his sockets, only for them to extinguish upon seeing the expression on his brothers face. Sans scowled, shoving his free hand back in his pocket to continue glaring at the skeletons serving out your 'judgement'.

"Listen-I don't know what the big deal is with you three and 'food'-but whatever it is, this won't stand," Classic announced, face solemn.

"Precisely! I Say We Kick Them Out," Edge recommended, receiving a sharp glare his way from yours truly in return. It wasn't helping that everyone else was becoming unsettled and started to want to give their own input on this situation-a situation that none of them truly understood. 

"I Agree, Besides, We're Monsters! A Human Doesn't Belong Here-She Should Have Never Stayed," You were sure your knuckles were turning white from how tight your fingers were clenching as you tried to ignore Black's little comment, squinting your eyes to his position besides the couch. 

"That isn't for either of you to decide-plus I don't recall anyone asking for your input," Slim growled from across the room-though not necessarily in your defence as you noticed his suspicious squint your way. 

This was looking bad-worse than you would have assumed. You imagined there were about to be some serious consequences.  
All of a sudden you felt paranoid-tensing and hair prickling at the back of your neck. Just what was their idea of punishment here? Sure they'd only given you dinner duty the first time -but that could be courtesy from being new. What would they do to you this time now that you'd nearly dusted someone?  
You felt your guard raise. You didn't like the way this conversation was going.

"I Don't Think We Should Send Them Away!" Everyone shifted to looked at Blueberry, who confidently stood with his hands on his hips by the couch Slim was laying on. "Like Axe Said! We Know Nothing About Them! We Don't Know Why They Did What They Did-And Besides, Crooks Never Did Anything, Right?"

Papyrus nodded sharply at Blueberries questioning gaze, which proceeded to only morph into an expression of somebody who has made up their own mind-looking pleased with his contribution to the conversation.  
Well, at least you had somebody other than yourselves on your side. Though it seemed it was only really him and perhaps Cream-Puff that shared the same mentality as before any further defence for your side could be made it was abruptly cut off by Stretch.

"Blue, you don't understand-they can't go around near dusting people over wasted food."

"Oh yeah? _just watch us_ ," Sans growled, capturing Stretch's attention and irritated gaze.

"No you can't! listen, I don't know what the underground was like for you guys-but things don't work like that around here, you can't just go around doing what you like."

"Y'know, for a lamp-post you ain't exactly very bright." Sans' patience was very quickly running out-if it weren't for Papyrus you'd have no doubt he'd have already tried skewering the skeletons in front of him. 

"I'm not bright? Buddy-you're a freak. You eat like animals, constantly avoid everyone else like the plague and raid the entire pantry like food is going out of fashion- _You act like you were bloody starving in the underground or something!_ " 

Any reply that you, or Sans or even Papyrus had was cut short. Instead the three of you simply stared at the skeleton clad in an orange hoodie in sombre silence-watched as his irritation slipped away instead into confusion at your lack of response.  
He didn't realise the truth behind that statement.  
It only took him a second longer for it to click in that thick skull of his-and it seemed, so did everyone else.

The tension in the air immediately disappeared-instead replaced with frozen shock. Nobody moved, or made any attempt to speak-merely watched the three of you lower your gazes to instead glower darkly at the carpet with their mouths agape. 

"You-You guys were starving?" Stretch's voice was much quieter. There was no anger, or irritation. It was more of a question, as if he couldn't believe it himself.  
A short, sharp glare was all he needed as confirmation, and reality seemed to hit him as he once again fell silent. 

You didn't bother looking up from the hole your eyes were burning in the ground-you could feel their gazes set on the three of you.  
You wondered just how long it would take for one of them to muster up the guts to say something-do something. Even the glares from Edge and Black had faded.

Starved- _starved!_ , you sure that was what was going through their minds. A countless flooding of puzzle pieces and it all seemed to fall in place. 

You couldn't be sure how long it took before someone spoke, though you were sure that it'd been long enough for dust to settle on the thickness of the silence. It seemed everyone was too much of a coward to open their jaws and end the awkwardness-so you took the responsibility upon yourself. 

"It'd been longer, you know," When no one spoke you instead looked up, eyes directed towards Stretch as you decided to continue, "Longer then a week since we'd last eaten. Remember? When you said we 'ate like we hadn't eaten in a week?'" You noticed the faint hues of orange beginning to bead on his skull.

"We'd been underground-starving, for _years._ Of course we were angry, because here you were, acting like you'd never had a problem in your entire lives-with _food,_ mind you- _heaps of food._ And you take it all for granted." You weren't really that angry any more. Not much of anything-just apathetic really.  
You didn't want to have to talk about this-but it was obvious no one else would, so somebody had to. 

A yawn tickled the back of your throat-you felt dead on your feet. You weren't sure why you were so tired, but you were ready to collapse. A brief glance to your left was all that was needed to know that Sans and Papyrus felt exactly the same way.  
All three of you were ready to end the conversation here.

"...We didn't know." It seemed Classic finally found it in himself to speak. He avoided your gaze as you went back to look at him, instead shifting his head to look at the ground-he almost looked ashamed.  
Good. 

You were ready to hop in bed-but you hadn't had dinner yet. It didn't matter how much your legs ached to fall in on themselves-how your body begged to lay down-the panic that gripped you at the thought of missing a meal that was readily available to you was enough to keep you standing. 

"...When's dinner?"

\----

Needless to say, it was a _very_ awkward night yesterday. Nobody seemed to know what to say to you. Certain skeletons seemed to look at you in pity (you didn't want their pity), while others merely in shock, and certain people such as Classic and Stretch-in shame. You weren't sure if you preferred their anger over this. You were sure that time would pass and the awkwardness would fade-everyone just needed to sleep off the shock and get over it. 

It didn't go unnoticed by you or your skeletons as Cream-puff gave you your dinner servings that they were considerably larger then previously. In fact you'd noticed the way everyone seemed to look down at their dinner plate differently then you'd seen since having got here. They looked more thoughtful-or regretful. You couldn't tell. Nobody wasted anything on their plates that night. 

Now, instead you found yourself hunching over against the bathroom floor-drowning out reality with the sound of running water and thick rolls of steam. Hot water crawled across your skin like pins and needles as you clutched your skull between your hands-staring blankly at the tiled floor beneath you. You hadn't slept at all that night. Not a wink.

You had sunken into your blankets like a bag of rocks-but it appeared your mind had other ideas. Instead you were jolted awake each time your eyelids threatened to droop with vivid images you'd previously buried away in the depths of your mind. At one point you'd stumbled out of bed in a panic-gasping wildly and practically crawling across the floor to get to the bathroom and force yourself awake with the icy slap of cold water against your face. Left to stare in those dull eyes of yours that lacked any real vibrancy they may have once possessed. As you inspected yourself-you found yourself staring longer-inspecting the smoothness of your skin-at the flicks and discolouration of small scars that had collected against it over time. Your eyes traced over every feature-every scar, every flaw until eventually seconds rolled into minutes and minutes rolled into an hour until you pried your eyes away from the glass with a rapidly sinking feeling in your stomach.

You didn't recognise the person staring back at you in the mirror.

After having found the strength to stand and get out of the shower you decided it was time to go and face everyone. If you locked yourself away now, you'd never come back out. 

You weren't sure why you were reacting this way to telling the household of what the underground was like for Papyrus. Sans and yourself-but you couldn't help it. It filled you with a sense of anxiousness-gripped at your soul as if you had said something you shouldn't have. You felt helpless. You guess finally admitting it out loud had helped you completely acknowledge that you really were on the surface, made it really sink in that you were alive-that you _escaped._ Now years of pent up trauma pushed to the back of your thoughts popped back up-memories that you'd purposefully ignored in the past. You didn't want to have to deal with this.

Feet shuffling against the carpet, you slipped out the door, near stopping to check up on Papyrus and Sans but at this point you had no doubt they were already up-and if they weren't, they probably just needed time to themselves. No doubt they were going through the same thing as you-if not worse. There was no point dwelling on the past-so just like you'd done countless times previously, you shoved the thoughts back into the abyss of the unknown depths of your mind. You'd deal with the consequences another time.

You knew it would be awkward-but you'd figured it would be like any other day. Hobbling downstairs, you rubbed away the sleep in your eyes; heading straight to the kitchen. Though not even a metre away from entering your desired destination your route was abruptly cut off. Instead Classic blocked your path-and an all too familiar lady taking his side to stare down at you warmly. 

"Uh, hey." Classic's hands were tucked away in his pockets as he refused to make eye contact with you. You could tell he felt bad about the argument yesterday, but it only went to fuel your suspicion as nervous beads of sweat decorated the base of his skull. Instead you gritted your teeth and burned holes into his skull-further stressing the skeleton in front of you out. "Listen, kid. After yesterday we've-I've, decided that this whole thing isn't gonna work out."

'Work out'? What was he talking about? Was he still insisting there was still some sort of consequence for the fight yesterday? You felt something like anger bubbling up in your chest-you really, _really_ wanted to dust this monster. You opened your mouth to question him only for him to clarify for you. 

"You're going to be staying at Tori's for a while."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cats out of the bag!
> 
> Damn it classic- should have known you wouldn't have relented on getting rid of the human so easily.
> 
> They're simply getting rid of the threat before it can become one. 


	12. PLEASE DON'T GO

**"What?"**

The news struck Papyrus straight to the core- his soul trembled.  
A skeleton eerily similar to his own brother- though smaller and less.. broken, avoided meeting Papyrus' gaze. Papyrus felt his own brother shift beside him- phalanges curling around the wooden handle of the latest addition of the family- his axe, the very same object the rest of the household had named him after. 

Papyrus didn't need to shift his gaze away from Classic, nor the pleasantly smiling woman by his side- the apparent ex-queen of this world, to be able to know the kind of state his beloved brother was in.  
He could practically feel the smouldering anger churning within his bones- he couldn't fault his brother for it either, if this conversation was going where he imagined it was...he was not going to be all too pleased.

"After the latest incidents, we thought that it would perhaps be best that Y/n stay with me," Her majesty Toriel began politely, "It seemed that having a human around was disrupting the rest of the household here. Having her with me, and my children Frisk and Chara would be the better option you see, as Y/n would be surrounded by more of her own kind."

Papyrus' bone-brows furrowed, though he remained silent, unable to formulate any real words and instead opted to glance over at you uneasily. You were inched away from classic and Toriel, though still facing in the same direction as them- hands tucked away in your jacket as per usual, and staring intensely at the white carpet. 

Papyrus felt his soul clench uneasily- painfully. They...wanted to take you away? Again?  
Hadn't both he and his brother already discussed this with them? They refused to have their human taken from them!

Y/n was...she was... _their_ human.  
_His_ human.

He couldn't just- he can't let them just take her away!  
He refused!

Boldly rolling his shoulders, Papyrus bent over to properly ensure direct eye contact with both her ex-majesty and Classic, a tight but otherwise friendly grin stretched across his skull. "Pardon Me, But Have We Not Already Agreed That She Is To Stay With Us?"

Papyrus didn't miss the tilt of your head as you watched him from under the drooping hood of your jacket- the one that he had made for you with the deer hide, having just completed it the other day. He felt something like pride swell in his chest at seeing you in something he had so lovingly and devotedly stitched together by hand- made for you especially.  
Papyrus was often the one in charge of mending and constructing clothing and other fabrics- despite his large, lanky stature and hands, he had a delicate grip and a fragile hold. He was naturally a soft monster at his core- and as such, had picked up things such a knitting and stitching and other finer activities rather easily. 

"Listen, I know you're close with your human- but it will be better this way. You will still see her- she can come over on weekends," Classic decided to try and reason, though there was no getting through to either Papyrus or his brother.

Sans, from beside him, tensed. His heated red gaze nervously flickered from you and back to Classic, as if he was trying to decide something, before giving himself a sharp and unforgiving tug to the eye socket- visibly stressed out. Papyrus had an idea about what exactly he was considering- and though it seemed a bad idea, he was running out of other options. 

It seemed that in the short time that Papyrus had fallen silent to organise his thoughts that Sans had decided to take the matters in to his own hands. Perhaps for the better- perhaps for the worse, but as his brother took a threatening step forward and rose his axe to sit snug underneath Classic's chin, Papyrus couldn't help but feel a small inkling of gratitude towards him.  
Didn't matter the decision- Sans had never failed him before- he trusted his brother whole-heartedly as he continually made choices that Papyrus couldn't help but silently support. 

"Move- and I'll make a nice head dog outta ya'," Classics sockets had become swollen voids of darkness, bones stiff as he bided Sans' warning, stilling. Toriel- for whatever reason, seemed surprised.  
The ex-queen had rubbed Papyrus off as naïve- though while he knew he occasionally be a bit of an air head, he was surprised that a boss monster such as herself couldn't take a hint. 

Perhaps she was stupid- Papyrus winced internally at the harshness of the thought, not at all what he was intending to do.  
Perhaps she merely preferred to see the better in people- Papyrus relaxed, that sounded much better.  
While Papyrus tried constantly to do the same thing- he was no longer the same monster he was before the hunger had consumed him. He tried desperately, struggled, to remain positive. Though it seemed even on some of the best days he couldn't help but wallow in the pessimistic thoughts that nipped at the back of his mind.  
He certainly wasn't the same monster he used to be- not as naïve, nor friendly, nor innocent alike his original counterpart was- but he could pretend.

"Buddy.." Classic spoke slowly, moving his hand from out of his pocket and up to the sharpened blade cautiously, to gently push the weapon away from him- sweat almost unnoticeably forming at the back of his skull. "I don't wanna have to fight you alright. I really think this is what's best."

As soon as the words escaped through the cracks of his teeth did Classic find the axe pressed firmly against the bones of his neck once again- though firmer. Classic jumped once again, nervously glancing at the woman beside him before back over to Sans. 

"Axe!" Toriel gasped disapprovingly, placing her paws on her hips firmly, "Please put down the weapon- such barbaric behaviour is not needed nor appreciated." Papyrus watched as Sans visibly scowled at Toriel's scolding. Papyrus felt his own arm twitch- feeling the sudden urge to reach out and grab something- _someone_ , perhaps firmly around the neck.

Shuddering, he violently jerked his head to the side in attempt to rid himself of such unsavoury thoughts. There was no need for such excessive force- at least not at the moment. "You know lady," Sans grinned, body twisting to further face her, though his axe remained in its position, "I've eaten _lots_ of different kinds of things- but I think I've yet to try **goat.** "

Immediately the room felt heavier, as it clicked in everyone exactly what was about to happen. Both Papyrus and his brother were not going to back down- and things could easily go south from here. "Heh," Sans manically grinned, finally dropping his axe to Classic's visible relief only to immediately move it over to Toriel, prodding her with it not-so-gently in the stomach.  
Yelping, she stumbled back a step or two in surprise- much to both Sans' and your amusement, Papyrus noticed. "Look like you're packing on a bit of meat- should make a good snack," he mused darkly.

Obviously, Classic and Toriel didn't know what he was playing at- that or they simply refused to believe what he could possibly be implying. "Why Yes," Papyrus nodded, before calmly moving over to yourself to grab you by the shoulder and spin you into him- back resting against his ribs, "Though I Think It's A Bit More Than Meat She Is Packing On, Brother," he observed. 

Papyrus eyed the area of Toriel's stomach- she wasn't fat by any means, she merely had a rather healthy stomach- visible even through the cloth of her loose dress. Papyrus knew from back before the famine that a little bit of fat added flavour to the meat- though he had long since become unfamiliar with it. The only humans that fell were scrawny and other monsters never had enough to eat to gain any.  
Looking back over at the ex-queen, the taller skeleton wasn't entirely sure why she was so obviously taken aback- and perhaps even offended?  
It was a good idea really, to stock up on food like Toriel obviously had in case times ever got rough.  
Eyeing the top of your head, Papyrus noted he'd need to make sure to feed you a little more.  
He wasn't sure why Toriel was upset though- if anything, it was a compliment! A smart survival tactic on her part.

Apparently, both you and Sans found his observation hilarious, and despite not knowing completely why he grinned along with the both of you anyway. He liked the way your body shook against his ribs from the force of your own quiet chuckling. It felt nice- having something so warm, and so alive being cradled in his arms.  
Any other creature never lasted long- as they were generally food. The only other person he could hold like this was his brother, and he was merely bones, like himself.  
And somehow, knowing that that creature was you, somehow made him appreciate the experience even more.

Toriel's face flushed red, "Well then! I know that perhaps you three are not particularly happy with this development- but there is no need to be so impolite!" Ah, so his comment _was_ somehow offensive. Toriel moved her stern gaze from Sans over to you, "Come along now Y/n, I think it is time we departed." 

Papyrus felt you tense, before- to his surprise, felt you make a move away from him and towards her. Papyrus twitched.  
Easily catching you by the back of your collar he swiftly pulled you back into his embrace, his long slender arms wrapped around you in such a way it was if he was trying to hide you. "Y/n, Where Are You Going?"

"..." You didn't answer, and Papyrus felt himself grow concerned, teeth clenching in anxiousness before moving to question you further- "To Toriel's." 

Papyrus' jaw hung open at your eventual reply. To...Toriel's? "You... _Want_ To Go With Her?" He questioned silently- his soul aching badly.  
You wanted to go? Wanted to leave them?  
Did they- did he do something wrong?  
Papyrus's arms snaked further around you- protectively, squeezing tighter against the soft press of your body, bones tingling pleasantly at your warmth stroking his bones. 

Surely this was a mistake.

"I don't _want_ to go Paps," you muttered softly through clenched teeth, "But there's no use fighting it. I'm not welcome here- and there is no place else for us to go." Papyrus didn't want to believe it, believe what you were saying.  
You were just _letting_ them take you away?

A deep, but still subtle anger nip at his soul- but not at you, at this supposed ex-queen, and Classic too, he supposed. Anger was not an emotion he was very well acquainted with, after all, Papyrus liked to think he was a patient monster.  
Though this whole idea that somehow you'd gotten to the point where they had managed to actually get you to _agree_ with this idea- it put him on edge. Closer to falling off and loosing it than it outwardly showed. 

In less then a second Sans blipped from his spot and appeared in front of you, dropping his axe to the ground with a thump to instead raise his hands hesitantly to your face. You met Sans' furrowed sockets, eyes never wavering from the large, burning crimson orb drilling into you with manic concern. Sans' own phalanges hovered just in front of your face, brushing the sides of your cheeks as if he were afraid to really touch you. "Peaches?"

The words escaped him quietly- so silently that only Papyrus and yourself could hear- hear the underlying question in his chosen nickname for you. You once again were silent- either speechless or trying to formulate words.  
"It's better this way," were the only words that surpassed your lips, voice so quiet you almost sounded ashamed. 

…

**"No."**

Sans' expression firmed as he seemingly gained the courage to properly cusp your face in his hands, pulling your head closer to stare deeper in his own sockets. Papyrus felt his own arms squeeze around you, watching the conversation between the two of you intently.  
He knew that Sans was now the only person that could convince you to stay- or at least convince you to try and fight to stay with them. Papyrus didn't need to get a look at your face to know you didn't want to leave just as much as they did, though it seemed you had some other motive. Seemed that you thought this the best for them. 

If only you knew that the real best thing for them was having you with them- didn't matter what happened, didn't matter where they were. All they needed was for you to be there too.  
You were theirs- and no one else's.

"Sans, what else can we do?-"

"-Get rid' of 'em."

You paused, before sighing at Sans' quick and unhesitant response. "That wouldn't get us anywhere- at least not anywhere alive. This is the best option- for now."

Papyrus could feel both Toriel's and Classic's tense gaze on the three of them- observing the display suspiciously from the lack of being able to hear what all the whispering was about. Thankfully, they seemed to keep their distance- if they hadn't, well, Sans would only need a split second to retrieve his axe from the floor next to him. 

Sans' gaze bored into you, gaze never wavering as his eye light burnt into your eyes with his usual twisted grin pulled across his features. A few tense seconds of silence pass, before he hesitantly dropped his hands from the sides of your face and glowered over at the wall, snatching his axe from the floor to sit snugly in one hand, the other burying itself in his pocket.  
He didn't say anything else, merely sticking close to you and staring intently over at the wall or floor- lost in his own, spiteful thoughts. 

It was time to let you go- Papyrus realised, though you didn't push him to let go.  
He didn't want to let go. Didn't want to retrieve his arms from their comfy spot cupping your waist and back to his sides. If he let you go now- it would mean that he had finally relented- given up.  
This is not at all how he imagined this would go.  
He was so certain that he'd be able to convince them to let you stay. How had it ended up like this?

He savoured the last few seconds he got to spend with you pressed against him. It was Saturday now- Classic mentioned he'd get to see you on weekends. That was an entire week away. Six whole days until he got to see you on Saturday morning next week.  
His soul felt heavy- phantom sickness swelling in the area of his non-existent stomach as he slowly, but surely, released you.

He was sure his soul had shattered in a thousand pieces at your last sad smile, glancing back at the two of them as you hung your head in defeat to shuffle behind Toriel and disappear around a corridor.  
Papyrus and Sans were left in stunned silence.  
Classic was still there, awkwardly leaning on the heels of his feet- he appeared to want to say something, before simply sighing and turning around to follow after them.

Papyrus didn't have it in him to do the same- to see you to the door. He knew if he were to follow he would try and stop you- unable to control himself. He wanted you back with him and his brother- to scoop you and Sans up in his arms and take the two of you as far away from here as possible. Somewhere you could be together- somewhere you could be happy. 

Papyrus didn't move from his spot in the room- nor did Sans. Both of their gazes directed in the last place they had seen you before you slipped away. Sans obviously wanted to go after you- fight off anyone who dared try and take you away, though it seemed you had developed a hidden talent for talking his brother- by far the most stubborn person he knew, into submission.  
He wasn't sure how- but it was definitely a trick you needed to teach him.

Papyrus sighed heavily, glancing down at his brother woefully.

He missed you already.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did it all go so wrong?
> 
> Why were they taking the HT bro's human away from them?
> 
> "It Isn't Fair." 


	13. THE FURRY'S PLACE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /very/ minor changes made to hopefully make the chapter run a bit more smoothly.  
> Critisim is welcome!

"Told ya."

Classic grumbled in annoyance at Mutt's arrogance, shoving his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. "Yeah whatever. Just because you'd figured that they'd been starving doesn't mean you can act all high and mighty."

"Ppft. Least I wasn't the one who freaked out over their squabble. Been plenty of fights before-what's with the sudden harshness?"

Classic paused-eye lights shifting to instead inspect the floor. He hated to admit it-but he definitely had been treating the three unfairly. It really wasn't his fault though-he could sense it, those three were trouble, and he'd known they were hiding something from the beginning.  
Even with this new revelation of their conditions underground, he could only feel as if that was only half the story.

Admittedly, he was merely looking for excuses to not allow them to leave the house at this point-at least not 'Axe' and 'Crooks'. They were just too...similar, to himself and his Papyrus.  
If they were to go out, any person who knew them would instantly know that it was them-a severely _damaged_ versions of themselves, but alas, still them.  
There was no way any person out of the whole 'alternate universe loop' would fall for the whole 'cousin' trope.  
At least the other versions of the classic brothers looked slightly different-but Axe and Crooks? They even dressed the same!

"Listen, buddy. I'll keep a socket out for the them, yeah?" Classic shifted to look up to Stretch who slunk against the wall beside him, the very same skeleton also known as his best friend. "But maybe we should ease up when it comes to the whole 'food' thing."

Classic didn't miss the way Stretch shuddered after mentioning the 'food' thing. While certain audiences such as Mutt and even Stretch had a few suspicions involving the whole topic, he could tell it deeply disturbed the skeleton clad in orange.  
Sure, at this point they were used to the whole 'homicidal' skeletons and more hostile versions of the underground, but a version where everyone was _starving?_  
A heavy feeling of guilt settled in his bones.

The way Crooks teeth were busted in unnatural directions, the large gaping hole in Axe's head, the unnaturally long stature the two were twisted into-even the ruins of clothes that hung on all three of them- in which were quite obviously stained in blood, everything about them felt _wrong._  
Classic almost didn't even want to know what their universe was like. He guessed that if he could just ignore the state he found them in- forget the fact that they were people too and just pretend that none of the problems with them were real, that maybe it would just all go away.  
If he just ignored the nightmare version of himself and his brother and some other strange human they seemed so insistent on dragging around- then he could just pretend it wasn't real.

He didn't want to accept there was an underground were his brother he suffered in such a horrendous way.  
Didn't want to find out how Crooks teeth ended up busted in like they were- how Axe ended up with that large gaping hole splintering in the back of his skull.

After catching himself staring particularly hard at his good friend, he snapped out of whatever state he was in and stretched his signature grin across his skull. "Yeah- yeah. Thanks Pal'. I will- ya'know, lay off a bit. They just make me a bit uneasy- 'round Paps and all that."

"Nyeheh. I feel you. Those three are certainly strange." Stretch agreed, momentarily glancing over to Mutt who grunted in support.

"Tch. You should really take that Axe away from 'em y'know," Mutt muttered, snickering at Classic, "Not that I mind-makes things more interesting 'round 'ere."

Classic sighed deeply, “Don’t know what you _axe_ pect to happen, but I don’t think taking his playtoy away will end very well.”  
Mutt merely shrugged, shifting in his position across the lounge to instead rest his face in the palm of his hand. “Least the human’s gone now. Lil’ disappointing- she was fun,” he grinned, obviously referring to all the trouble she had caused since being here.

Frankly, Classic thought keeping the human around was a bad idea from the beginning-but after Tori had pulled him away to talk with him, he'd finally relented. The human- Y/n, didn't seem all that bad-maybe a little rough around the edges.  
Though Classic had come to learn she wasn't all bark and no bite- the hard way.  
Usually most people were quite intimidated by him, despite his small stature. In fact, it was that way he had managed to keep the other versions of himself under control -but not her.

This human acted as if they weren't scared in the slightest. He had also noticed the surprise on their face as soon as they had lunged at him- as if they hadn't meant to- rather acted right out of instinct.  
That didn't stop the crazed look burning in the humans' expression from drilling into him after having pinned him to the ground- if Classic wasn't sure before, he was now.  
She could have easily dusted him right there and then.

Perhaps he sent her away more out of his own intimidation- she'd surely be a hard one to keep under wraps. It was obvious keeping the three together wasn't a good idea- they'd only cause more trouble.  
Besides, Tori would take good care of her. It would be better over there away from more hostile company. He wasn't too concerned about Frisk or Chara- he knew from experience they were more than capable of handling themselves.

"Hm. Whelp- I gotta go check on Paps- wanted to show me somethin' or whatever." Classic grinned over at his buddy, getting a lazy smile in return, briefly glancing over and locking gazes with Mutt before blipping out of existence to find his brother.

\----

You ran your fingers across the smooth leather of the buckskin jacket Papyrus had lovingly stitched together for you, smiling to yourself- ignoring the sharp jab of pain in your chest.

This place was unfamiliar- filled with strange people, the place even smelt foreign.  
The vague smell of smoke and grime that always lingered in the streets of your universe's Ebott City was missing here. In fact the whole atmosphere of the city was just overall...lighter, than yours was. As if it didn't have the same dirt and grime weighing it down like yours did. 

Ebott- your Ebott, wasn't some dangerous crime capital per say, the people there simply seemed...lost. Yourself included. It was dizzying, everyone was born and grew in a haze in that city- a harsh and unforgiving place that slowed down for no one. It was easy to get lost in the busyness of life, lost in the overwhelming crushing reality of living.  
The people here though...

You hadn't spoken to any of the humans, merely observed them from a safe distance as you drove past. It only took a split second observation to instantly notice the change in mindset people here had.  
It was friendlier, calmer, more down to earth.  
Of course you rationalised not everyone would be like that- but that seemed like what the overall culture was. The city was cleaner, the people happier- monsters had even already integrated here, on peaceful terms too.

Perhaps....Perhaps it was better for Sans and Papyrus to be in this universe?....

Nah- best not get ahead of yourself and make a judgement so quickly. 

You'd been up for about an hour, having slept in longer than usual, though had no idea what the time was. With a huff, your head hit the wall your bed was tucked besides, staring up blankly at the assumingly freshly painted white roof. Feeling a bit uncomfortably cool, you slipped the leather back over your arms and curled it around you, loosing yourself in thought.  
Toriel's place was moderately sized and quaint- with cute sandy yellow walls and oak wood floors. Lots of light, pastel colours and warm and homey decorations. Which reminded you, it was probably best to go and investigate the area while Toriel and her kids were off doing their own things.  
You didn't feel safe in an unfamiliar area without your boys. 

You didn't want to slip off your dedicated bed and get up, but curiosity got the best of you. A sole foot hooked at the ends of the bedsheets and dragged it along to the floor with you, ruining the impeccably made bed.  
Not giving it a second glance you stumbled out the door, taking a cautionary look from each direction before heading down the corridor to your left- towards the front door. 

The house was silent- which wasn't saying much, as you'd notice both Frisk and Chara were generally quiet by nature, and Toriel was rather soft-spoken when she wanted to be too. That was another difference here compared to living with Sans and Papyrus.  
While Sans wasn't necessarily loud, Papyrus' naturally boisterous voice effectively filled the blackhole that seemingly ate away at all noise in the underground (it was a deafening silence). Even at Classic's place, Blue or CreamPuff or some other loud skeleton was there to fill the silence. 

There was no one like that here.

Pausing, you halted your searching to instead curiously inspect the variety of frames hung up on the wall in front of you. You'd noticed them on your way in, though hadn't stopped to check them out at the time.  
Fingers curling around the frame of the first one, your eyes lock with piercing crimson jewels partially covered with chocolatey brown bangs, clinging to the side of Toriel similarly to Frisk who was located on the other side of the woman.  
All three had toothy grins tugged across their faces, beaming at whoever was taking the picture. 

They were at the beach, all clad in their swimmers and skin glinting in the light from the excess amount of sunscreen they'd been battered in. The ocean sat calmly from behind the three, inky blue stretching on for as far as the eye could see, teasing the ends of the earth and reaching for the heavens. 

As your curiosity moved on from picture to picture, you noticed with a sombre expression that each picture displayed some sort of pleasant scene. Ranging from silly grins and painted hands to loving embraces and tender kisses.

You knew it wasn't their fault. Knew that you should be happy for them- this was precisely everything you, Papyrus and Sans had dreamed of.  
But if just felt so _unfair._

Why did they get this happy ending? Why did they go suffering free? Why were they the lucky ones? Weren't the three of you good enough? Was your universe not good enough?

"Morning!"

Pausing, your eyes slid from the pictures towards to meet a pair of crimson ones. Chara's.  
Turning and stretching in front of the child you proceeded to crack your back before slumping over. "Need something?" You eyed the little child that looked eerily like Frisk despite being two completely different people. Though you knew Frisks eyes weren't crimson-rather more of a golden amber, though it was certainly difficult to see them through the thick lushness of their eyelashes.

"It's lunch time!" Already? "Mum said to come get you so you can have lunch." What about breakfast?

As much as you'd like shuffle back to your room and topple over back into the comfortable embrace of your bed sheets-you couldn't pass up on lunch. Maybe you'd go back to bed afterwards. Right now you just needed to eat. More than usual to make up for the lack of breakfast.  
You were a little annoyed, now that you thought of it, that they hadn't woken you for breakfast. Sleeping for a couple extra hours wasn't worth missing out on food.  
You'd talk to Toriel about it. "Mm, I'll be right there."

Chara bopped their head before skipping off and back downstairs (presumably). Running a stray hand through your hair your fingers hit a knot and you hissed in irritation. Not bothering to fix it or attempt to make yourself look more presentable you tottered downstairs, hunger clawing at your stomach as the smell of something positively delicious wafted through the room you were in.

Glancing around you found Chara and Frisk already having found themselves a seat at the table, some sort of pie placed neatly on the white porcelain plates in front of them. Figuring Toriel must still be in the kitchen you wandered over, shoving your hands in your pockets as you waited for the furry to notice you.

The goat woman was slicing a generous piece out of the pie and serving it on another plate, before proceeding to cut another, smaller piece. Apparently she wasn't very observant as she still hadn't noticed your obvious presence hovering by the doorway blatantly waiting for her to turn around.

"Oh!" Toriel jumped as she turned to find you, gasping in surprise. You raised an unimpressed eyebrow- no use being nice to the person that had taken you away from your skeletons. "Y/n! I didn't realise you were there. You are awfully quiet, aren't you?" She chuckled in attempt to make light conversation only for it to fall flat at your unresponsive expression. Clearing her throat, "Well, I made everyone some cinnamon-butterscotch pie! I hope you like it," she begun, "I was informed of your large appetite and thought I best give you a larger portion-especially considering you missed brea-"

"-You should have woken me up."

Toriel looked a little surprised at the interruption before smiling pleasantly-patiently, "Pardon? What do y-"

"You should have woken me up," you repeated, your tone firmer than previously. 

"Oh, I see. Well, I thought perhaps you might have liked to sleep in, though I will remember for next time."

Grunting in approval, you took your plate and fork out of Toriel's paw- much to her mild annoyance. "S'okay. Just know for next time." 

You could see that she was a little irritated at you for your less than polite mannerisms, but stretched a polite smile across her features anyway. Not waiting around for any reply, you spun on your heel and exited the kitchen to the dining room.  
You ensured you took a seat furthest from all three other inhabitants of the house, instead stabbing your pie and sawing off a piece with your fork and shoving it in your mouth.  
Cinnamon-butterscotch was a strange combination, but you didn't give yourself time to think it over as you shovelled the food past your lips. 

You really hated missing meals. It left a sour taste in your mouth and encouraged anxiety to tie knots in your stomach. You felt as if you didn't eat the food in front of you quick enough it would disappear despite knowing how absurd it sounded.  
You couldn't help the subtle way your arms shook as you devoured the pie in front of you.  
If the food were to disappear- when would be the next time you got to eat? Would you miss the next meal? Would you go hungry again? 

You couldn't go hungry- _not again._

"Y/n?" You halted in your actions as you were snapped out of whatever trance you were in at the sound of Toriel's voice. Why'd she have to talk to you? You just wanted to be left alone. "Are you alright? You are eating rather quickly."

"Maybe I'm just a little **hungry,** " you snapped, "You'd be surprised what not eating can do to a person," you mused darkly. Toriel didn't fully understand the depth to your words- the first indication that Classic hadn't informed her of what happened in their timeline. Bad move buddy.

You weren't entirely certain why you were so irritated- you'd almost missed a meal once before while you were working with Blue on the obstacle course ( _yeah but that was different- it was your own fault and you ended up eating anyway_ ). Though you couldn't help it- the unpleasant feeling sinking in your stomach from missing breakfast mixing with your dislike for the woman was getting the best of you.

Once again, Toriel looked a little surprised at your little outburst- as did Chara and Frisk, though you paid no attention to them. "Y/n, I can tell you're feeling a little upset right now- which is understandable as you've just been taken away from your friends but I assure you, you will be taken care of and well fed." You tensed, a little upset? You were a whole lot more than a little upset. You'd been forced to make a decision, one that you hoped would be for the benefit of your boys, but had no real way of finding out until it was too late. The last thing you wanted to do was leave them there by themselves, leave them there without you. Toriel- however annoying and airheaded, wasn't your biggest concern at the moment, and as such, you regarded her with no real importance. With a frown you scrapped up the last bite of pie and shoved it in your mouth before pushing yourself away from the table.

"I'll be in my room. Come get me when dinner's ready."

Shuffling away you didn't bother to glance back at the silent room. Nobody made a move or call for you and you slowed your pace as you began your climb upstairs. By the time you reached your room, you were feeling more lethargic then ever. Stumbling in your room and swinging the door shut with a quiet 'slam', you collapsed on your bed. A bed so very far away from Papyrus' and Sans. It didn't matter that Toriel or Frisk or Chara were here- you were alone. Surrounded by people you couldn't- didn't want to trust.

So here you were again- in your 'room'

In this dreadful little yellow room, in a house you hated, filled with people you didn't want to be around. 

The list grew as you buried your face in the pillows of your bed. Your hands clenched tightly around the soft material, teeth grinding together painfully.

You were hungry again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> www.rawandedgydesigns.com/product/saddle-tan-deerskin-jacket/
> 
> for anyone curious about what the jacket Papyrus made MC looks like.
> 
> You paused, eyes widening. Were those...
> 
> **humans?**
> 
> Your stomach churned violently. You were so, _so,_ **hungry**


	14. OBSTACLES

"Ta Da!"

Hmph. Edge ran his gaze over the 'obstacle course', arms crossed and a scowl pulled across his teeth.  
As he eyed the course he had to admit he was a little surprised.

"Barbed Wire?" 

Blueberry nodded.

"Spikes?" he hid his approval while looking over to the sharpened points underneath the sky nets. 

"Uh- Yes." Edge noticed the hint of unsureness in Blueberry's tone and raised an unimpressed bone brow his way. "It Was The Humans Idea- Actually," he explained.

Ah. That made sense. Looking at the smaller- more pathetic version of his brother he found it hard to believe he came up with all of this himself. From beside him Papyrus- the original, Crooks and Razz stood silently, inspecting the area. Black, on the other hand, had taken it upon himself to get a closer look- testing the sturdiness of the spikes and toying with the sharp points of the barbed wire.  
Edge was no fool and new the expression of someone pleased- something that Black surely was. 

"Oh, The Human? -I Uh-I Mean Y/n," Papyrus began before quickly correcting himself, receiving a few curious looks, "I Did Not Realise She Had Such...Extreme Tastes."

Edge scoffed, instead opting to eye Black curiously. Certain versions of himself were simply pathetic.

"Why Yes! I Would Expect Nothing Less Of Y/n!" Crooks beamed, seemingly very proud of his human though it was evident in the slightly sombre stance he took that he missed them very much, "She Is Quite Excellent At Building Traps And The Sort."

"Traps?" All of a sudden Edge was interested. Edge was glad to see the human gone- it had no place among someone such as himself, though he admittedly was gaining a / _slightly_ / better impression of it from the display in front of him. It seemed to know it's way around building and crafting things from the obviously practised expertise of the obstacles in front of him.  
Besides, he had to hold some form of respect towards another being- monster or otherwise, that built traps. He was tired of all the pathetic creatures from this world. 

"Indeed! We Made Many Of Them Together Back Underground," Crooks explained, a grin stretching on his skull. Edge adverted his gaze, not being able to help glancing down at his company's rather... _disfigured_ teeth.  
Admittedly, Edge was very curious to know as to what had caused the injuries the newest pair of skeletons sustained- though he knew better than to go snooping around and asking questions that were of no concern to him. Especially considering what he already did know of their universe.

"I See..." Edge turned to instead join Black's inspection. So far the obstacle course seemed...adequate. Though he needed to be more thorough with his inspection to see if that would change, (that and he didn't want to admit that a human, of all people, had done something of an...acceptable standard).

"There Is No Way The Blueberry Did This."

"The Human Helped Him," Edge replied sourly, not bothering to acknowledge Black with a glance up and instead peering down into a...hole? It appeared to be some sort of twist on hurdles, Edge merely nodded to himself at the tolerable display before moving towards something else.

"The Human? Unlikely."

"I Would Agree, If It Weren't For The Fact There Is No Other Logical Explanation." Black fell silent- probably in thought.  
Despite what one may assume- Edge and Black got along quite well- sure, they weren't exactly 'buddy-buddy', and did butt heads occasionally, but otherwise, their similarity seemed to actually work in their favour, forming some sort of mutual respect between the two. 

One might even describe the relationship the two possessed between them as being on 'friendly terms'. Edge huffed disapprovingly at the thought.  
Edge was a monster with no time for such pleasantries- and neither was Black. 

"Hmph. Well, Perhaps This Human Isn't Totally Pathetic. At Least An Improvement From The Ones In This Universe."

Edge merely nodded in reply before concluding his search with a pleased glint in his eye. "Well- There Is Plenty Of Room For Improvement," He noted, "Though It Seems This Will Do...For Now."

Black seemed to agree as the two moved to regroup with the others at the beginning of the course- eager to try it out. Blueberry was the first to start, hopping from tire to tire, narrowly avoiding the miniature spikes sticking out of the ground around the tires before sliding down into the hole to begin the hurdles.  
It was as each skeleton moved onto the second obstacle that another would begin to follow behind, before all six were hopping, crawling and swigging on the equipment with Razz being the very last.

It wasn't until Edge got to the monkey bars did he halt to analyse his surroundings. The barbed wire was wrapped around the equipment tightly, leaving little room for his hands to hold onto. Despite his towering height, it seems the monkey bars were designed to still be high enough even for someone such as himself. There was even a little ledge for those of a shorter stature so that they could step onto to reach the bars.

Eyeing the barbed wire, Edge waited no longer before jumping a hold of the bars, swinging himself forward to grab a hold of the generously spaced bar in front of him. He hissed as he felt a metal spike nick a phalange, hot silvery red marrow streaming down his wrist. With a grunt he made extra care with the rest of the bars and succeeding in getting across with no further injury. 

As his feet hit the ground, he stared down at the injury as if it were an insult. It was a little demeaning receiving such a minor injury because of his own carelessness. Scolding himself harshly for the minor slipup he ascended onto the sky nets, eying the spikes underneath that would promise serious injury with a simple misstep. 

Hm. This human certainly was no coward. Well- he'd have to watch it complete the course himself before he could properly determine that- though this human definitely wasn't playing around.  
It was almost unfortunate the human was no longer here- prolonging the wait until he tested it out on it. 

Another twenty minutes and Edge had finished the course with an unimpressed scoff. He went on to complain the lack of challenge the obstacle course possessed- hiding his cut phalange underneath the arm he was crossing over his chest. 

\----

You really weren't feeling it that morning. You were exhausted and hadn't slept a wink. Black bags settled under your eyes and you were sure you looked just how you felt.  
Your first night.  
It was your first night away from them- and you hated every second of it.  
Though you forced yourself out of bed and followed your usual routine- pretended you were still back there- with them.

Showering, then getting changed, before creeping downstairs and out to the back deck to watch the sunrise. You were a lot warmer that morning, curling up in the jacket Papyrus made you as you sat snugly on the cushioned bench seat.  
Toriel's home was located in the suburbs of the city rather than the outskirts like Classic's place was. The view wasn't as good, as homes and other buildings stood in the way of the fluffy pinks of the morning sky.  
You were slightly disappointed, even more so when you noted that Sans and Papyrus weren't really out here with you.  
You wondered if they were doing the same thing right now, back at Classic's on the back deck watching the sunrise- missing you.  
Not bothering to go back inside, you instead sat in your spot the entire morning, savouring the silence of the usually bustling city until one by one lights began to flicker on and the day approached. 

"Oh, there you are!" You didn't bother to look over at Toriel, who had slid open the glass door and poked her head outside. "Frisk had knocked at your door to wake you up for breakfast, but found you weren't there. We were afraid you had run off somewhere."  
You felt like running off somewhere. Right back in Sans' or Papyrus' arms, preferably. 

It fell silent, as you didn't bother to acknowledge Toriel's presence, instead staring intensely at the retreating pinks and conquering blues clashing against each other in the heavens. 

"Well, why don't you come inside, I imagine it is awful cold sitting out here for too long." With Toriel's suggestion, you tilted your head to face her, finding there was no ill intention or annoyance from the previous day in her stature. Uncurling yourself your feet hit the ground and you shuffled back inside and past Toriel to head to the dining room. 

"Not as cold as Snowdin," you gruffed as you totted past the goat-woman, not waiting for any reply. 

Both Frisk and Chara were both already sitting at the dining table yet again (it seemed as if they were as eager to eat as you were, though perhaps for different reasons). You, opting to sit by yourself yet again, sat in your newly dedicated place on the table, staring down blankly at the table patiently. 

The two children talked to each other quietly from across the table. Not because they were whispering, it just seemed the two were naturally quiet by nature. You didn't bother listening in. Well, not until the sound of one of them clearing their throat caught your attention. 

"Come sit with us," Frisk smiled warmly, patting the seat to their left. You watched Frisk, glancing from their smile to their hand on the seat next to them, considering their invitation. They waited patiently, not urging you to come over.  
Hesitantly, you slid off your chair only to slink back in the chair beside Frisk, to which they grinned pleasantly at your compliance. 

"Why don't you like goat-mum?" That was the question that caught you off guard. You eyed Chara warily, wondering whether it was worth your time explaining it- to a child of all things.

"Part of the reason I'm here," you explained simply, tucking away your hands in your pockets and sinking into your seat. 

"You don't want to be here?"

"No."

"Why not?" Why not? You met Frisk's gaze, pondering the best way to approach their question, before shrugging.

"Away from Sans and Papyrus."

The brunettes were evidently confused, Chara voicing their thoughts, "Isn't Sans the one who sent you here?"

"MY Sans and Papyrus," you clarified, to which they nodded in understanding. 

Any potential for the conversation to continue further was erased as Toriel came wandering in, beginning to serve everyone breakfast. Once again you had gotten the largest plate out of the four of you, despite not being the largest one here (Toriel must have been at least 8 or 9 feet tall).

You found your thoughts wondering as you ate breakfast, especially as you noticed Toriel's slight surprise towards where you were sitting (you couldn't tell if it was a positive or negative reaction).  
You pondered quietly to yourself, thoughts like- why wouldn't Classic tell Toriel about what happened in your world? Would Toriel not take you in if she knew? What were Toriel's intentions? What were Classics intentions? 

You were staring pretty lethally at the wall in front of you when Toriel broke you out of your thoughts. "So, Y/n. Are you feeling better than yesterday, perhaps?" Toriel raised an eyebrow at you questioningly, but from the firm look in her eyes, you knew she was referring to your poor attitude. You merely shrugged in reply, looking back down to finish eating.  
"You're wearing practically the same thing as yesterday, do you not have enough clothing?" Yet again, you shrugged, chewingly thoughtfully on the bacon you'd put past your lips. 

Toriel sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose, both Frisk and Chara silent beside you. "Y/n, I cannot help you if you do not co-operate with me. Don't you think it better to try and maintain some sort of peaceful relationship between us, despite however unideal this situation may be for you?" 

Pausing, you swallowed down your food, reaching over for your glass of water and throwing your head back to drink it all at once. Wiping the your mouth with the ends of your sleeves, you heard Toriel begin to say something again, though this time you cut her off. "...It's my only jacket."

"I see, what about your shirt?"

"The other one needs to be washed." You didn't think Toriel would much appreciate you walking around in your hunting clothes. Though you were curious to see her reaction.

Toriel went wide eyed for a second, before furrowing her eyebrows, "You only have two changes of clothing?"

"Not including the stuff I'm wearing," you shrugged, looking over at Chara, who decided to join in on the conversation.

"Why didn't you go shopping?"

"Wasn't allowed to."

"..."

Everybody paused, calculating your words. You could see the confusion on their expressions and it was obvious they didn't know much about the workings going on at Classic's place. You weren't entirely sure if their ignorance was a curse or a blessing. 

"Y/n," Your eyes slid over to meet Toriel's, "What do you mean you were not allowed?"

"Not allowed outta the house."

"That's not fair," Frisk commented. Yet again, you shrugged. This entire situation- the amount of attention on you all at once, it was all rather awkward. 

"Why were you not allowed outside of the house?" 

You shrugged, no matter how big the temptation to badmouth Classic- you had to remind yourself, these were his friends. Just whose side would they take? That and you just didn't have it in you to say it out loud. Tell them that it was because of how they'd been hurt that they were being treated unfairly. That the wounds scarring their bodies was something other people were essentially saying Sans and Papyrus should be ashamed of. It made your blood boil- and bringing up such a topic would only encourage your anger to prosper and you doubted it would end well.

"Well then, " Toriel, figuring she wasn't going to get a response out of you instead decided to take a lighter direction in the conversation, clasping her hands together, "Despite the rough start we may have had, I am a woman with manners- and as such, it wouldn't do to allow a guest to stay without their basic necessities."

You raised an eyebrow curiously. Basic necessities? You weren't entirely sure what Toriel was implying by that, but your question was soon clarified by the two children on your left's excited cheers.  
"Shopping trip!"

Shopping trip?? 

"You mean, at a clothes store?"  
Frisk nodded their head vigorously, an eager grin curled at their lips. "With lots of other people?" Yet again another nod. You stared blankly down at them, their grin never fading as you processed their words.

"We will be going sometime after lunch, if that sounds alright with you," Toriel explained, drawing your attention from Frisk to herself. Once again, you stared at her blankly. "Do not worry, I will be having some words with Sans about this," she clarified. 

How were you supposed to tell her that what is just a 'crowd of people' for her, was essentially a full course meal for you?  
Even glancing down at the children beside made you anxiously giddy. They were the first humans you'd seen in a while- and the ones you did see, never lasted long. Being around other monsters in general, actually, made you a little hungry (except perhaps Sans and Papyrus- they were not food), though perhaps not as much as other animals, as monsters were a tasteless, unfilling source of nutrients anyway. 

Toriel must have taken your silence as some sort of signal of agreement, or compliance in the very least, as she smiled warmly over to her children who both were pleased with this new development. "It is settled then. I'm sure the two of you will be having lots of fun," she chuckled good-naturedly, pinching Frisk's cheek and brushing her finger up against Chara's nose.  
The two of them swatted their mother's hand away from them playfully, giggling with each other, behaving much like you'd imagined on of those imaginary functional families would.  
Well, they may have been imaginary in your world- because this household was oddly enough, appearing pretty functional. Well, until now that is. You imagined you would be going to have one hell of a time complicating things unnecessarily for the three of them. 

Oh well. It's their fault really.. It wasn't your idea to come stay here.

You watched Frisk and Chara exchange witty banter between themselves and their mother, eagerly discussing the upcoming shopping trip this afternoon as Toriel chuckled loudly as some comment Frisk had made.  
Well, perhaps it wasn't the children's fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it seems MC earnt herself some brownie points in Edge's and Black's books, though this shopping trip coming up...  
> How is MC going to fair being reintroduced into human populace again?
> 
> Whether he'd like to admit it or not, Edge was impressed. 


	15. RETAIL THERAPY

Nope. Bad idea- Terrible idea.  
Why were you here again?  
Oh right, to go shopping. For you.  
In _there._  
A building jampacked with people.  
Why hadn't you just refused to go?

Currently her two little brats were buckled up in the seats behind your own as you drove off to some shopping centre. Apparently she was serious about this whole 'shopping trip', and though you had requested you go to somewhere less...populated, Toriel insisted she knew the perfect place.  
So here you were- apparently going shopping to get you clothing, or something. Honestly you didn't like this whole idea of going inside some strange massive building absolutely filled to the brim with _humans._  
Just seeing the two seated in the back were enough of a reminder of the sticky red circulating through them- through yourself. A reminder of the absolute mess they made when you cut one open-  
-You tried not to think about it.

The car rolled into a tight space between two other vehicles, before coming to a sharp stop. "Well," Toriel hummed pleasantly, clasping her hands together before twisting to face you, "Here we are!"

You frowned. Couldn't you go another day? Maybe during the middle of the day on a Wednesday or something? Instead of a Sunday when it would be most busy.  
Well, at least the two children in the back seemed excited.

You pushed open the car door with little regard for the car parked next to you and slipped outside into the carpark. It smelt a lot like petrol out here and every available parking spot in view was taken. It was strange- experiencing the same things you'd had long since convinced yourself you'd never see again.  
You couldn't help but feel a little guilty, knowing you were out and about while Sans and Papyrus were still locked away back at Classic's place.  
This is not at all how you'd figured the surface would be.

As Toriel exited the car to join your side, the two children jogged up beside her to link hands. She smiled down at both brunettes with a kind of warmth you were unfamiliar with. Perhaps something akin to a parent’s love?  
They did call her 'mum' after all.  
Not that you'd be familiar with such a topic.

"So, Y/n. What kind of clothing are you looking for?" Toriel questioned as the four of you stepped through the automatic glass doors. At first you were a little taken aback- having forgotten about such a thing.  
You had hardly ever ventured anywhere past waterfall- maybe a little into Hot land, not having explored far since your fall and of course- when you were about to exit to the surface- and as such, technology was very limited where you lived.

"The type you wear," you grunt.

Toriel chuckled at your 'joke', and you stared at her in question. She seemed a little surprised at your gaze, before realising something. "Oh dear, you're serious, aren't you?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

She paused, merely eyeing you as you stepped on an escalator, near stumbling as you rose. Both Frisk and Chara giggled at you, in which you merely sent the two a sharp look in return.  
Their grins merely grew.  
"Hm, well, is there a particular style you prefer? In colour maybe? Do you prefer pants over skirts or vice versa?"

Skirts over pants? When was the last time you wore a skirt? Even before you'd fallen underground you weren't particularly girly. You always dressed in whatever was most comfortable and ideal for whatever activities you'd be partaking in through the day.  
You were a particularly down and dirty type of person- constantly on the streets and hanging with your friends across the city.  
Which reminded you- this city looked _nothing_ like the one back at home. There were familiar streets and stores you had passed by, sure, though everything was much...nicer? neater? ….  
Friendlier?

"Well, skirts and dresses aren't really practical…" You started, you weren't particularly self-conscious (you had bigger concerns to stress over), but you certainly couldn't imagine needing to dress in anything too fancy. All you really needed was something that would last and fulfil their intended purpose. "It's near Winter so I'll probably need something warmer than shorts. So really Jeans, some long-sleeved T-shirts and maybe another jacket should do me."

"I-uh, well, yes. That certainly would be a good idea, but please, do not feel restricted to just those. If you see something you like- do not hesitate to get it, alright?" You furrowed your eyebrows at the strange goat woman. She wanted you to buy…. more than necessary?  
You didn't answer her, merely watching your feet as you walked to wherever she was taking you and ignoring the _overwhelmingly_ loud symphony of voices echoing around the building.  
You could feel your stomach clenching in your gut, pulse having risen and hyperaware of every noise and brushed shoulder. 'Just don't look up' you chanted, a lump having made itself cosy in your throat.  
Don't. Look. Up.

Eventually you found yourself stopped in front of some store- you didn't bother to look up and inspect the place as you filed in behind everyone else. What actually got you to look up was the dramatic decrease in volume.  
In fact- the four of you were the only ones inside. Your shoulders slumped, fingers unclenching and a subtle sting making you aware that your nails had probably begun to dig into the flesh of your palm on your trip here.  
Royal Purple decorated the walls- and everything else, really. Though, strangely enough, it all seemed to work together rather pleasantly. The air in the store was thicker than outside and hinted of something sugary and sweet. It was also invitingly warm, which naturally caused you to shiver in delight and shuffle further inside to find the source of the pleasant skin-tingling feeling.  
You were so used to the dead chill of the underground you'd found yourself craving the mesmerising feel of heat melting the ice that had seemingly settled under your skin.  
Hence why you'd found yourself on the outskirts of Hotland so often, knowing venturing any further was a death sentence (too many guards, too many people).

"Ahuhu, and what brings you four to my store today?"

"Hello Muffet, it is good to see you again," Toriel greeted, smiling warmly at the-!!!

Now this was someone you were familiar with- though this Muffet was _very_ different from your own. You'd only encountered her once and since sworn to avoid doing so again after nearly being eaten alive. When you'd first explored the underground, you'd managed to make it almost to new home, and hence you encountered the woman along the way.

You weren't surprised to find this Muffet was in much better condition. Her skin was a pretty shade of purple- unlike the sickly grey of your Muffet's, her clothing far more colourful and most importantly- she wasn't blind.  
You'd have surely died all that time ago if your underground if your world's Muffet could still see.

"Ah, yes, Toriel. You three are some of my best customers! As such, you are always welcome. Though I must ask," Your teeth clenched as she moved her beady black eyes onto you," Who exactly is this?"

"That is Y/n," you tensed under Muffet's gaze. "She will be staying with us from now on. We need to get her a new wardrobe and thought here'd be the best place to start."  
You could feel the skin where Muffet's eyes were placed burning into your skin- you knew it was entirely psychological, but you couldn't shake the feeling of the woman in front of you being a threat. "Perhaps we'll get you two something nice while we are here, yes?" Toriel glanced down to Frisk and Chara to which they giggled and hummed eagerly in reply.

"Ah, I see. Well I will see what I can do." She finished eyeing you to instead look back at Toriel, "You can choose out a few things already available while I take her measurements, yes?"

"That sounds like a very good idea," Toriel grinned, giving you a firm look that was something akin to 'behave yourself'. Your teeth ached from how hard you clenched them. "Do not worry, Y/n. Muffet will take good care of you. We will be just over here if you need us."

A nod was all she needed for confirmation as she strode away, paws occupied with both Frisk's and Chara's as they headed over to graze through the jacket section.  
"Well, aren't you an interesting one, Ahuhuh~"  
Your eyes slid over to meet Muffet's as she eyed you much like one would eye their prey. All of a suddenly you were wishing Toriel had decided to stay. A shiver ran down your spine as she grabbed you by the hand and whisked you away to a room out back. You kept reassuring yourself that this was a different Muffet- this one wouldn't send her spider army to try and eat you alive.

Having her wandering arms and hands roaming around your body made you uncomfortable, shifting weight from leg to leg. Muffet didn't seem all too occupied on you- rather just doing her work, and you took reassurance in knowing that she wasn't any real threat. As of now, anyway.

"So, Y/n dearie~ Tell me, are you from one of those other universes as well?"

You were a little surprised she knew about the other universes, before figuring that there must be some other version of herself sucked into this world out there. "...Yeah," you confirmed warily, eyeing the top of Muffet's head as she strapped a measuring band around your chest, "Whata bout you?"

"Hm? Oh, no, this is my world dearie~ Though there is another version of myself, behaves very much like a bartender like Grillby from here, infuriating, really. Do you know him?"

Once again, you were hesitant to reply- uncomfortable with all the contact from someone so unfamiliar to you. Though Grillby- you knew exactly who she was referring to. He was the local barkeep in Snowdin town- though you imagined he would be in significantly better shape here. You'd never gotten to see him before the eternal magic fire he was made of started to eat away at him.  
Before the agony- the constant state of mind numbing pain clawing at his very soul.  
Yet he was probably one of the most composed monsters in the underground. You had no doubt he had to have lost his mind to some degree by then, but he hid it far better then most else. If it weren't for his warped appearance one might have not even noticed his constant suffering. 

It was too bad, really. Though he would try to eat you, there were occasions where you got some form of conversation out of him. You merely had to plan your escape before he tried lighting you on fire. From what you knew, he sounded like an alright guy- twisted by the starvation eating away at his soul over time, but not evil.  
Well, he sounded like an alright guy from before the famine. Sans had told you the odd story here or there- though not many, as ever since his injury, he's had a bit of a _"Hole in my memory,"_ or so he liked to say.

You knew they were friends though- to what degree you weren't sure, but each time Sans brought him up he only spoke in fondness. So you suppose he couldn't be that bad- any friend of Sans or Papyrus after all, is a friend of yours.  
Generally.

"...Kinda," you answered. Which was true, you certainly didn't know him well. Just to not underestimate him for being a bartender.

"Hmph, well, he just happens to be a rival of mine- so make sure you don't go over to his place- swing by mine instead, no?" 

"Here?" You questioned, furrowing your eyebrows.

"Ahuhu, no dearie," she cooed at you as if you were something adorable, she looked just about ready to pinch your cheeks. You'd already tilted your head back as a precaution. "To my bakery, I sell lots of lovely goods there- made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders!~"

...Of spiders? 

Well, you were never one to refuse food- though spiders wasn't something you'd crossed of your bucket list yet. "Sure," you shrugged, now wishing you had something to munch on after having brought up the topic of food.

"Well, Toriel can give you the address- come any time! I always love new customers," she giggled, eyeing you mischievously before retrieving the measuring band from around your chest and bouncing off to some desk to jot the measurements. You took the spare time to observe your surroundings. It was a decently sized room, with stray boxes and tubs of newly shipped in material and unsold clothing. It was a bit of a mess, though if you looked closely enough, you thought you could see some form of organisation behind it. 

This world's Muffet seemed...alright. Not 'alright' enough for you to want to be near her for any extended period of time, but enough that you just may take up her offer to visit her bakery. That is if Toriel would allow you to go. Maybe you could convince her to bring Sans and Papyrus along with you. She was stubborn- but seemingly much more reasonable then classic, and from when she first convinced him to let you stay with your Sans and Papyrus, you could tell she held some sort of influence over him.  
Perhaps earning a few brownie points from her could help you out in the future.... You'd be sure to keep this realisation in mind...

"Well, Dearie, it's a shame to say that we're done here," You watched Muffet carefully as she stood up from her bent over position as she filled out some paperwork and strolled back over to you. "Unfortunate, really. I was enjoying your company."

You raised an eyebrow questioningly. She was enjoying your company? You hardly said anything at all.  
She was probably just trying to be friendly.

Nodding, you shifted awkwardly in your spot, glancing back at the doorway wondering if you were allowed to leave. It seemed Muffet had a similar idea, as you merely sauntered out behind her after she had. 

Toriel and her children were skimming through the articles of clothing, their heads perking up as they noticed that the two of you were done. Toriel approached, Frisk marching back with a couple brightly coloured jumpers- though Chara wasn't anywhere to be seen.  
Taking a place at an arms distance beside Toriel at the counter, you focused your gaze on locating the red eyed child, before a tug on the side of your jumper caught your attention.

"What do you think?" Turning to face Chara, your eyes inspected the lime green hoodie they were holding up in front of their torso. It was a nice colour, with a royal purple stripe running down the sides of the sleeves. 

You shrugged. "It's a nice colour," you commented. Eyeing the similarly coloured jumper they were already wearing. 

"Green's my favourite colour," they commented, and you nodded in acknowledgment, though not responding. You weren't trying to be rude, you simply didn't know what to say to that. You could tell the short haired brunette was trying to make friendly conversation, though you had noticed you could be awkward with this things, especially when the topic was something so...mundane.  
"What's yours?"

Your favourite colour? A colour that appeals to you most... Your mind flashed through a series of images as you searched for one that you preferred most, before shrugging yet again. "Don't have one."

"Not at all?" They questioned sceptically, as if they couldn't comprehend such a concept. "C'mon, there has to be something," you merely stared blankly at them. "Okay, okay," they started, readdressing the subject, "let's go about this differently... If you saw...a flower! Say you were in a store full of them, but you could only choose one colour- what would it be?"

A...flower? Seriously, why did your favourite colour matter to them? It was hardly vital information. Whatever- you just got to sate the kid's curiosity you guess.  
"...White?" You answered hesitantly, trying the word out on your tongue, before nodding satisfactorily at your conclusion. White- like the snow of Snowdin, like the colour of bones. The things that you'd grown familiar with.

Chara deadpanned at you. You weren't entirely sure why but obviously whatever you said wasn't the right answer. You didn't realise there was one. Perhaps you should have said green?  
"You're hopeless," they sighed, walking away to join their mothers side. "White isn't even a colour," Chara scoffed in amusement , before weaving their fingers in between their mothers paw.

You were hesitant to leave the shop after Toriel had concluded her business with Muffet here, a bad feeling twisting in your gut. You hadn't actually gotten any clothes yet, Toriel merely prepaid for the order, so you left the store emptyhanded.  
You immediately felt the tension return as soon as the noise of the living hit your ears. It put you on edge being so close to so many living, breathing creatures. So close to you- to your teeth. You could only imagined what sharpened canines like yours would do to tender flesh...

When was dinner again?

"Well, where do you think we'll go next?" Toriel hummed, looking over at her children, before glancing over to you.

"Next?" You cut of any responses from either of the children, gaining Toriel's attention in the process. "Indeed! While Muffet is very efficient in her work, your clothing won't be ready for another day or two. You'll need something until then."

Yeah- there was no way. 

Currently the group of you were standing still in the middle of a busy hallway. Children hung giddily from their parents sides, friends hooked arms and lovers linked hands- people from all walks of life travelled the halls of the shopping centre- monster and human alike. Unfortunately, the large groups of people around were merely interpreted to you as something akin to making a selection off a particularly large menu.  
You couldn't help but unconsciously categorise the people around you by the amount of meat they were carrying around on their bones. 

"...Can I wait in the car?"

Toriel paused, studying you for a second. At first you were a little anxious she would say no. You had no doubt staying here any longer wouldn't end well, in fact, you knew it wouldn't. Though, thank the gods, Toriel eventually relented, sighing heavily. "Never mind then, we will go home."

Frisk and Chara pouted in disappointment, and Toriel ruffled their hair affectionately. "Perhaps another time, then," she reassured them, the statement seemingly sating them.  
You made sure to make swift progress to escape the crowd of the shopping centre- everywhere you went there was people, around every corner, in every store, in every room.  
A violent shiver crawled down your spine as you picked up the pace- you could feel their gazes crawling against your skin.

It was too much- too much noise- too many people-

Too much _food._

Eyes burning into the floor you ignored the large crowd of both humans and monsters alike, doing your very best to avoid contact with anyone and everyone at any cost.  
With the way your teeth clenched itching to sink themselves into something- you knew it wouldn't end very well if anyone got too close.  
It wasn't until you were walking into the carpark did you feel yet another subtle but evident tug at your shirt. Glancing downwards you expected to find Chara again, only to find Frisk staring at you through their thick eyelashes with obvious concern glinting in their eyes.

"Are you alright?" They spoke softly- almost too quiet to hear by any normal person’s standards, though if you listened hard enough you could make out what they were saying.  
With a stiff nod in reply you ignored the frown tugging on their lips- obviously disbelieving of your words.  
You made no further attempt to convince them instead pulling open the passenger door of Toriel's cherry red minivan and slumping into the safety the seat provided, slamming the door shut beside you.  
You felt sick as you strapped on your seatbelt, frowning as Toriel began to reverse and drive back to her place.

It should be Sans and Papyrus here in the car with you, going back to wherever it was you deemed it safe enough to stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MC has encountered Muffet!
> 
> No fatalities thus far- though worry not, further bad decisions are to come. 
> 
> I wonder how Sans and Papyrus are doing without their human?
> 
> No amount of shopping will distract MC from her hunger whenever she looks their way. Sans would go to town in that place. 


	16. NOSTALGIA

At first it was a subtle twitch of his hand, a few fingers that wouldn't stay still. Clenching and rewrapping themselves around the handle of his axe, over and over, progressively squeezing tighter. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Then it was the clenching of teeth, grinding his molars together to the point he was sure he was tasting dust.  
He sat jittery on the edge of his bed, sockets boring into the wall separating his room from yours.  
The longer he found himself staring the more he was unable to sit still- his leg nervously bouncing in attempt to distract himself. 

He couldn't help it. He was so unused to being out of control- in the underground, anyone who questioned him lost their heads. Perhaps except that old lady behind that door in the ruins. He never did get to find out her name.

He was the butcher after all, one of the most feared monsters in the underground- though maybe only second compared to undick. The bitch. 

Now that he was up on the surface he had struggled to cope with the sudden power exchange. Now he was the one out of control, taking orders and doing as he's told. He didn't want to. He really _really_ didn't want to.

Sans hadn't realised his spare arm had snaked up to cup the side of his face, a stray finger idly resting inside his unlit socket. The itch was back. At first it tickled the inside of his skull, but the longer Sans ignored it the harder it would claw at the bone. It was stray magic left lingering in his skull- the unformed eye-light, trying to pull itself back together.  
Sans was too broken to be fixed. 

His skull was harshly tugged sideways, pain shooting through his cheekbone and spreading outwards, and Sans retrieved his finger from his socket, resting it on his knee, where it clenched on the bone. Despite however painful it may be to tug at his broken socket, it was a relief compared to the corrupt magic eating away at the inside of his skull.

The state Sans was in right now- was all because of that 'Classic' arsehole. It was his fault. He was the one who took you away from him, from Paps.  
When you told him that you wanted to go, leave them, Sans could had sworn he felt his soul shattering. Those words were a sharp stab straight to his core, twisting and eating at his insides and testing any and all of the self control he had.  
And really- it must have been one of the hardest things for him to have done in a long time- stand there, and watch as you walked away from them. Knowing that you were being taken away. Sans was so sure that it would only require a moment longer before he snapped and dusted the fools who thought they could take you away from them. 

He guessed he had more self control then he thought. 

It had only been a two days since you had left, though he had to will every ounce of determination a determinationless monster like himself possessed to restrain himself from following your scent and tracking you down. To scoop you up and bring you back in his arms, bury you in his bed to recoat you in his scent and to get Papyrus, to help stand guard against any who thought they could take you away again. Sans knew that Papyrus would help him out. His brother was amazing like that- Sans could trust him with anything, and the same worked vice versa. 

The idea of dusting the pathetic original version of himself was unbelievably tempting, though Sans knew he had to listen to what you said, to what Papyrus said. If you'd gone with them willingly, it was obviously for a reason. This had to have been the best option, or else you'd have found a better way. You were always good like that- a brilliant puzzle solver, it was no wonder Papyrus had grown fond of you so quickly back underground, even when he was still trying to capture you for food. 

Sans was so thankful he relented after Papyrus' insisted pleading that they didn't kill you. It'd been two years- an astoundingly long time for a human to survive underground. Yet somehow- you'd managed. And in that time, managed to befriend his brother.  
Sans briefly wondered where he would be today, if he had never decided to let you stay with them. Instead killed you- eaten you.  
The thought made him sick.

By now Sans was standing up, gaze still drilling itself into the wall. It was too much. He couldn't sit still knowing you were away from him. Knowing that **his** human was gone.  
Even if he couldn't find and reclaim you, _yet,_ he had to do something to try an ease the bubbling vicious mixture of hunger and rage pulsing against his ribcage. 

Sans' abilities in magic had been damped significantly since the incident, though he could still use them. Painfully, he squeezed his eyelids shut and blipped out of existence, revisiting the numbness of the void he had long since grown eerily comfortable with, only to reappear in amidst a forest of trees- somewhere in the bush surrounding Classic's house.

If Sans couldn't inflict any of his warped desires upon the one who took you away, he would just have to direct his anger elsewhere.  
Luckily this forest was thriving with wildlife.

\-----

Toriel was a little concerned about the human she had been tasked with taking care of. Toriel, while having become wary of most adult humans, liked to believe that she was a peaceful, friendly woman towards all, even those outside of her own race. 

While Toriel had met many humans who have tested her patience- whose actions have shook her to the core, perhaps even made her question some of her own principals (however briefly). Though this human- Y/n, was something else.  
Toriel knew next to naught about this human, though she could tell there was far more working behind the scenes. Toriel could tell- there was this look in the girls eye, one that Toriel couldn't place but put her on edge to no end. 

Toriel knew that several versions of herself or of another person she knew had come from more volatile universes. 'Kill or be killed', as several seemed to be so fond of saying. So, when Classic had first called up Toriel about taking in this new human, Toriel was fully prepared for them to be on the slightly... unhinged side of things. 

She hadn't expected it to be such a difficult task of actually convincing the human to come with her.  
Now that she had the human here, Toriel was questioning whether it was a good idea having her here at all. Now, while Y/n hadn't done anything drastic or violent in her time being here, Toriel could only feel as if having the human here wouldn't do any good. 

Though, perhaps she was wrong- perhaps it really was better for Y/n here. After all, Toriel had been meaning to get down to the bottom of this whole situation after hearing about Y/n's apparent grounding at Classic's place.  
It didn't make any sense. Perhaps not allowing someone who had just come from another universe outside for a few days was fine- just until they adjusted. Though near two weeks?  
It was certainly a first that Toriel had heard of. Even when the first monsters from an alternate world were dropped in, they didn't have to wait that long to go clothes shopping- of all things!

So yes, Toriel found herself In her favourite single seater lounge that had somehow managed to survive from the underground- eyebrows furrowed and considering the situation thoroughly.  
Toriel trusted Classic to do the right thing- he was her pun buddy all the way from the underground. The one who had protected one of her children all the way through the underground.  
Even before she knew what he looked like- or even his name they were friends. Toriel didn't want to believe that he was in the wrong.  
Especially when she knew so little about the whole situation. She couldn't jump to conclusions just yet.

With that in mind, Toriel slipped her phone out of her pocket and resting it up against the side of her head. Toriel needed to get Classic's side of the story. 

She waited patiently for Classic to answer, as she knew his tendency to doze off at sporadic hours of the day- and stars knows how busy he's been trying to fix that machine that keeps bringing people here.

Toriel was pleased to find that on the last ring that he picked up the phone. She smiled warmly knowing that despite however busy her close friend may be, he always made time for her. "Heya Tori- what's up?"

"Ah, hello Sans, I have been very well. How have things been over there? Chaotic I imagine?" Toriel chuckled good naturedly. It had been awhile since any major fights had broken out (to Toriel's knowledge), though she knew there was generally a lot of drama that went on behind those walls. It only made sense, having that many skeletons under one roof.

"Heh- well I have certainly been _fighting_ to keep the peace, nothing that I can't handle though," Toriel snickered at Classic's pun, "How has uh, y'know, the human been? Not causing ya any trouble?"

"Hm, well, she seems certainly unhappy being here. She's certainly on the... stranger side, though speaking of her, I have recently become aware of something."

Toriel could here the confused curiosity in Classics' next words, and she hoped that she could take that as a evidence of his innocence. "Yeah? What's that?"

"Apparently Y/n and her version of yourself and Papyrus weren't allowed out of the house." At Classic's silence, Toriel continued, "Not even to go...shopping?"

Classic was still silent, and Toriel felt something sink inside her. He wasn't saying anything. Toriel realised just how guilty he was acting right now- and she didn't want to admit it, though she think she may have been taking the wrong side.

"I uh, well-," Toriel didn't miss the nervous edge in his tone, as if he was struggling to come up with an excuse. A frown tugged at Toriel's lips, "There's a reason Tori I swear-"

"And what would that happen to be?" She asked firmly, grip tightening on her cell phone as she waited patiently for his answer. However in the wrong her friend may be right now, Toriel was a forgiving monster, Classic had done an unimaginable amount for herself and her children, the least she could do was give him time to plead his case.  
Though, as time stretched on, the more Toriel realised that she wasn't going to get an answer. That there was no valid excuse for what he had been doing. 

Toriel took this as a big surprise- Classic, The Judge of the underground- _always_ had a valid excuse for whatever he did. He judged in fairness and rightfulness. What had changed? "Sans..." Toriel spoke carefully, squinting down at her lap as she tried to process her thoughts, "I hope you know that I am very disappointed in you."

"...I know Tori... I know, and I'm sorry," Classic spoke quietly. Toriel could imagine him hanging his head in shame, guiltily spewing out his apologises at his lack of reason behind his behaviour. 

"Sans, it isn't me you should be apologising too," she scolded, "You best know that I expect you to make this up to her and Axe and Crooks in one way or another."

While Toriel knew Classic was in the wrong- she also knew that people made mistakes, and as such, she would consider this to be one on his behalf. She couldn't hold it against him- considering how few mistakes he ever made. Sometimes Toriel forgot that he was also a person, he had his own problems and flaws, and he still messed up from time to time. It was just so easy to forget, with how well he hid everything behind that eternal smile of his.  
Easy to forget he wasn't as carefree as he appeared. Toriel- more than most else should know that, so in a way, she was also in the wrong.

"Yeah, of course. I'll- I'll.. do my best." Toriel knew her friend didn't cope well with promises- so she didn't make him. She instead nodded sombrely, despite knowing he couldn't see her.

"Good," Toriel cleared her throat, as if it would make disperse the heavy mood, "Well then, I always enjoy hearing from you Sans. Please do try to keep out of trouble?"

"Heh, yeah," He chuckled without any real amusement, still quiet from the serious conversation beforehand.

"Until next time then, Sans," Toriel heard a mumble of a goodbye, before she hung up, repocketing her phone.

The house was quiet, as both Frisk and Chara were at school, usually she'd be there too, teaching her class, though she had requested a week off so she could properly look after the human coming to stay with her- help them adjust. Currently you were upstairs- once again locked in your room. The only time you would come down was to eat, and you'd seemingly grown comfortable enough to raid the fridge and cupboards. That or you just didn't care if you were welcome to or not.  
Toriel didn't mind. Classic had already informed her about your large appetite- about all yours and your version of the skeleton brother’s unsatisfiable hunger. Toriel had a feeling that was only half the story- and she imagined she would be receiving the full picture pretty soon.

Slumping into her seat, a heavy sigh escaped Toriel's lips, eyes rolling around the room to look for something to do- something to clean, anything.  
Eventually, Toriel opted to pick up one of her favourite books, '72 facts about snails', smiling fondly down at it's hard leather casing before picking up from where she left off at page 36. 

It was strange, there was a time not too long ago she was sitting in this very same chair, reading this very same book back in the underground. Now here she was, doing the same things- on the surface.  
It was funny how life worked like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A perspective from both Sans and Toriel.
> 
> It appears Toriel has a slight bias when it comes to Classic :/ 
> 
> Welp- guess Toriel is just gonna keep trying her luck until it runs out. 
> 
> Will be a perspective from Papyrus next chapter!  
>  Their souls will shatter without you. 


	17. NOSTALGIA PART 2

He was trying. Really, _really_ trying.  
To cope without have you there, without having his human beside him. 

Papyrus struggled to stretch his usual grin across his skull, though despite the heavy weight sagging on his shoulders, he held his head up high- for his brother, Sans.  
It was hard, so very, very hard, though Papyrus knew he had too- however hard it was for him it must have been a hundred times harder for Sans. He'd always had a harder time keeping his instincts under wrap. 

So that's why even as Papyrus sat by his brother's side on the back veranda to watch the sunrise, he slapped a grin across his features and swallowed his woes.  
It was a chilly morning- not that it affected himself or his brother, though Papyrus couldn't help but notice the small gap between himself and his brother, where you'd usually be sitting, wedged between the two and savouring the small amount of warmth they provided.  
Papyrus' soul clenched and he immediately shifted his gaze, back to the pinks and yellows splashed across the sky. 

He tried focusing on the beauty of the surface, of the sereneness of the morning. To the chirping of the birds, and the pitter patter of other wildlife as they gradually began to wake up and start their days.  
It was very beautiful...  
But oh, it just wasn't the same without his precious human there- to witness it all with him..  
He missed your warmth, and the softness of your skin. He missed your lazy grins, and witty banter- missed the way you challenged him, how you didn't treat him like a child.

And oh- it just hurt so badly.  
It felt as someone had done wrong by him, having taken you away. As if someone had stolen what was his- something very valuable. 

Papyrus would wake each morning, fully expecting you to be waiting lazily by the end of his bed, and if you hadn't yet woken, to wake you up himself, to grin as you groaned and buried your head under your pillow, only to remember you were on the surface, and spring out of bed like it had exiled you.  
Dragging Sans out of bed by the ends of his feet each morning just wasn't the same without you helping, cackling loudly as Sans growled empty threats at both you and him. 

Usually remembering moments like this only caused his smile to stretch at the edges, but now, it hurt.  
Papyrus knew that he would get to see you very soon- on the weekend, as he was informed. Though it was only Tuesday morning, and three days had been such a struggle to manage without you there to support him. 

It wasn't right- everything about this situation was unfair. He shouldn't be here- nor Sans nor you. They should be in their world- on their surface, on their back veranda, watching the sunrise _together._  
You were meant to always be together- that was the way things have always been. Whenever one of the three acted out, the other two would be there to comfort them through it.  
Other people didn't understand- they were all at a point beyond fixing. At this point, all there was to do was stick together and help each other cope through it. Having each other there was the only way they could manage. Though now that you were gone? 

Papyrus could feel himself become uncomfortably antsy..

After you'd finally settled down in their home in Snowdin town- after Sans finally began accepting you, Papyrus began to be unable to see a foreseeable future without you in it. Eventually, so did Sans. Though while his brother never outright said it- he could tell. Sans cared about their human dearly. You'd become one of the most important parts of their lives, having you not there just...

Papyrus' teeth clicked together. It made a rather...violently primal urge tear away at his composure.  
Papyrus grinded his teeth together painfully- he didn't want to have to acknowledge that part of himself.

He knew that very soon he would have to return inside. From there he would help make breakfast in the kitchen, and Sans would return to his bed. In recent days some of the other members of the household had been questioning all the extra meat in the fridge- though Papyrus had not made a comment on it.  
He was far too afraid he would no longer be able to go out and hunt if anyone were to find out about the traps he and Y/n had set out. It felt a bit like hiding a secret- though he did not dwell on it long enough for it to weigh on his consciousness.  
He was no longer like his original counterpart. He had learnt that sometimes you just have to put yourself first. 

"Hey Paps," Papyrus' was sucked out of his thoughts at his brother's voice, shifting his gaze from the sun and instead locking eye-lights with Sans. "You alright?"

Papyrus paused, internally scolding himself for letting his concerns show physically. He didn't need his beloved brother stressing over him when he was already so distressed over their missing human. "Why Of Course Brother! Why Would I Not Be? Especially On A Fine Morning Such As This?"

"..." Sans stared deeply into Papyrus' sockets, something he had long since grown use too, as staring had been a habit his brother had picked up long ago. This stare, however, was different. This gaze was calculative, judging. From the way Sans' grin thinned Papyrus knew that he had lost in convincing his brother- Sans had always had a watchful eye.  
"We'll get her back."

Papyrus startled at his brothers words. What was he implying by that? Sensing Papyrus' confusing, Sans clarified himself.

"One way or another Pap's- don't matter how long we gotta wait... We'll get her back." 

Papyrus wasn't fully sure how to respond, but took comfort in his older brother's words. Though while the brothers were polar opposites, they always found comfort in each other. And nowadays, they found that in you too.  
Papyrus chose to believe his brother, despite the odds. Chose to be positive, to have hope, that you would be given back to them.

Grin back now full force, Papyrus confidently stood up from his seat, resting his hands on his hips before giving his brother a tender rub on the skull. "Indeed Brother! Nothing Can Keep Us Away From Our Human!"

Papyrus beamed proudly down at his brother, confident in his words. He was sure that Classic would change his mind and allow his human to return to him. Certain of it. "...Heh. 'Course bro."

Papyrus flashed his brother a warm smile, one that he hoped could convey his affections for his brother before marching towards the back door, ready to begin the day.

"...Hey Bro?" Papyrus paused, hand resting on the glass door and tilting his skull at an angle to meet his brothers gaze. "...I love you."

"...." Papyrus felt his soul soften, his grin easing into something tender and warm, "Why Yes, And I You, Sans."

\-------

You didn't want to have to go back to the shopping centre.  
While Muffet seemed alright...You just didn't want to have to face the large crowd of people that would be there. Thankfully, it was Tuesday, and as such, it would be significantly less busy, but still.

You were currently sitting at the dining table by yourself, as Toriel prepared lunch in the kitchen. You had insisted that you had something to eat before you left, partially because you didn't want to have to get something to eat at the shopping centre, and prolong your visit. 

Frisk and Chara were at school currently, they seemed like alright kids. Friendly, if not a tad mature for their age. They seemed very happy here, despite Toriel not being their natural mother. Acted like one small happy family. It was a strange... but familiar concept to you.  
Sans and Papyrus were not blood relatives, though they very much were family to you like any other would be to their own bloodline. Even if the three of you weren't as blissfully naïve and happy as these three were, it was a similar idea.

Toriel, you had noticed, had been making a further attempt at being friendly towards you these past few days. You hadn't exactly reciprocated, though you certainly didn't oppose it. After all, it there was any possibility of having Toriel as a possible ally, you'd first have to befriend her first. Or at least be on tolerable terms.

Humming echoed out from the kitchen into the dining room, as Toriel perkily walked towards you, both hands occupied with a plate full of food. As Toriel placed your plate down on the table, you'd barely managed to fit in enough time to grumble out a 'thanks' before replacing your words with forkfuls of food. Toriel chuckled at your antics, before taking a seat a safe distance away from you herself.  
Though while you generally had little preference with food (if it didn't kill you, you'd eat it), you couldn't deny Toriel had a knack for cooking. Probably one of the few positives of having to stay here. Though you'd give it up any day to return to Sans and Papyrus.

"So, Y/n. How was your morning?"

You acknowledged what Toriel said, though didn't pause to answer her until you had shovelled in and swallowed the last mouthful. Toriel- seemingly aware of this, waited for you patiently, barely having touched her own food. "....Not extraordinary," were the words you settled on, not wanting to cause a conflict but not wanting to give Toriel the impression you were actually enjoying your stay here.

The goat woman hummed thoughtfully under her breath, "Well, I'm glad to hear you are doing considerably better than when you first arrived here."

"..." You weren't entirely sure how to respond, and instead opted to stare at your plate. Thankfully, Toriel seemed to pick up on your unwillingness for conversation and began to finish off her own plate of food.  
It didn't take her very long to finish off her own meal (that there was considerably less of than what you had).  
Toriel didn't dawdle in taking both of your plates and putting them in the dishwasher, before swiping her keys off the kitchen counter and heading out the front. 

Sliding off of your seat, you shuffled out of the room and followed behind her. Parked out front of the quaint white suburban house was a cherry red mini-van, the colour reminded you of Papyrus' dream car, A cherry red convertible, if you recalled correctly.  
Papyrus, at the time, had only mentioned if very briefly. 

It would have been only just as Sans began to warm up to you, and thus allowed you inside the house. You remembered entering Papyrus' room for the first time vividly. It had maroon coloured walls and the same turquoise and purple striped floor as the rest of the house. It was a little worn down- paint chipping and furniture worn, though well loved. 

Glancing over to his empty desk, you imagined there was once a time he proudly stood all his action figures on display, rather than tucked away in a sealed box sitting snug underneath the table. It was when you finally noticed Papyrus' bed, that you finally realised just how much you wanted to be friends with the skeleton.  
When you asked him about it, he grinned at the bed fondly, before gently explaining that it was the car he hoped to have on the surface. You'd smiled, at first, until his own grin dropped, and he quietly added how it was an 'unrealistic dream anyway'.

It only went to prove just how the underground could warped a person. Kill a person slowly from the inside.

You near forgot to put your seatbelt on until Toriel gave you a friendly reminder as she pulled out of the driveway.  
This time, as Toriel drove, you payed more attention to your surroundings, memorising the streets, each turn, each interesting shop, place or park that you might want to visit- creating a mental list of places you would take Sans and Papyrus, whether Classic knew about it or not. 

The trip to the shopping centre was silent, and you made no effort to make any form of conversation, instead just listening to the quiet hum of the radio. All of the music that played was unfamiliar to you- the only time you'd been able to hear music back underground were tracks from some old Mettaton movie Papyrus had on DVD.

It was a pleasant change.

Pulling up in the shopping centre's parking lot, however, was not very pleasant. Though, you did idly notice that the cars parked were few and far in between- a perk of it being the middle of a work day. You decided to take this as a good sign, slipping out of Toriel's car and beginning to wander off in the direction you knew you had to go.  
Toriel- a little startled that you began to wander off without her, locked the car and picked up her pace to catch up to you. 

"Someone is eager, no?" She mused, searching your expression though you refused to face her, instead deadpanning as you entered the shopping centre. 

"Yeah- Eager to hurry up and leave," you spoke dryly, glancing left and right in search for other life before stepping onto the escalator. It was much quieter than previously, a few odd people roamed the halls, though the chorus of voices that bounced up and down the centre had dwindled significantly since your previous visit. 

Passing many stores, you took not of each place's content- what they sold, the price, for and what you'd need each item for if you were to get them.  
It felt a little unfair, here you were, being pampered, going shopping and getting clothes. Sans and Papyrus on the other hand, well, they were probably being treated identically from before you left. If not a tad bit worse. You couldn't help but frown at knowing that they were still living in the hand-me-downs from the other inhabitants of the household.

Sans was too big to fit in any of the other Sans' clothes, thus meaning he had to wear some version of Papyrus' old wear, though Sans wasn't nearly that long nor scrawny- meaning everything hung lower than it should and clung to his bones tighter that what was comfortable. Papyrus had it even worse as he was easily the tallest monster in the household, being a whopping 8 and a half feet, all the clothes lent to him were far too small (even though he insisted it was fine). 

Glancing back up you snuck in a sneaky glance at your furry counterpart, before returning your gaze to the floor. You wanted to get some things for Sans and Papyrus to wear- but you didn't know how to ask. Didn't know if you could ask.  
In the underground there were little, if any favours. If you wanted something, you took it by force, there was no time for pleasantries or manners, you took what you needed before someone else could take it before you. You had a feeling the same concept didn't apply here, or at least Toriel wouldn't approve, though you were far too afraid to risk asking Toriel and her saying no and losing your opportunity to get something for Paps and Sans altogether. 

It was a quick realisation figuring out you had reached your destination, as that same warm sugary scent from last visit hit your nose. You weren't entirely sure what Muffet was using to keep her store smelling like this, but if she kept it up, you may just be tempted to find the source and take a large chunk out of it. You'd always had a sweet tooth.

"Toriel! Pleasure to see you again, and with miss Y/n too~" You acknowledged Muffet with a stiff nod as she eyed you. You were unable to properly determine whatever mischievous glint that Muffet held in her eye whenever she looked your way, though perhaps it was simply her natural expression, and thus, you didn't dwell on it. 

"Of course, the same to you Muffet. I received your text regarding Y/n's clothes?"

"Why yes, they are all finished~" Muffet grinned proudly, revealing a pair of pearly white fangs hidden beneath her plump violet lips. It didn't go unnoticed by you about Toriel's mildly impressed expression, her next words only went on to confirm your theory.

"I must say I am impressed a Muffet, this is by far the fasted order you've completed yet," Toriel commented, staring at the spider woman curiously, and unspoken encouragement for further explanation.

Muffet grinned, eyes shifting over to you before she tenderly rested a single palm on your shoulder. You tensed. You could already feel the warmth pulsing underneath her skin seeping through the material of your shirt- burning your skin. It was entirely psychological, though having such a foreign touch rest on you for so long was driving your senses crazy. "Well, I like to make a good impression on new customers. That, and I can tell I will be seeing this one much more often..." 

All you could think about was the crunch you'd get if you took a bite of the hand practically begging for your attention. You felt your heart hammer in your chest and your head spin- it would just be a small bite... just a little taste.

Though before you could angle your head to sink your teeth into the fleshy violet, the hand slipped away from its place on your shoulder, to instead follow the body it was attached to as it walked away to fetch your clothes. Probably for the best, really, though you couldn't help but feel mildly disappointed.  
You found your hunger generally had a mind of its own, and it didn't matter if what you did was wrong or right, it took over and did as it liked. 

Muffet temporarily disappeared into the back room, before moments later coming back out heaving a decently sized collection of plastic bags- assumingly filled with your new wear.  
Toriel- having already prepaid for everything, assisted in collecting several of the bags in her arms, allowing you to carry the rest.

While Toriel finished up the rest of the formalities, in your own mild curiosity, decided to peek at the contents of one of the bags that were open enough for you to glance down into. The bag you happened to be able to see inside was filled with underwear and other undergarments, which you were thankful for. You'd being using the same pair for a while now, and even though that was hardly a concern for you compared to all else you've managed to get by on, having other pairs was certainly more convenient. Helped you feel slightly cleaner than the eternal phantom grime that seemed to linger on your skin, no matter how hard you scrubbed or scratched away at it. 

There was a variety of different designs of material inside, you noted. Some to your preferences, others that you couldn't imagine yourself needing to wear anytime soon.

….The lace panties especially.

"It seems we are done here than," Toriel commented, smiling politely at the significantly shorter spider woman compared to the goat woman's own intimidating height. 

"Dearie me, what a shame, " Muffet glanced over to you, "Remember to stop by my bakery sometime, won't you? It'll be expecting you~!"

Toriel hummed in agreement, "That is a very good idea. I suppose I'll have to take you sometime, no?" You looked up at the goat woman curiously, before glancing back over to Muffet and shrugging. Free food, you guess. Though you would have to arrange for a less busy time to go, similar to now. "I suppose it is settled then. We will be seeing you soon then, I imagine," Muffet bobbed her head in agreement, before waving the two of you off as you excited the store, the chime of the doorbell signalling your departure. 

Having exited Muffet's little clothes store, you noted that it was even quieter than previously. It made sense, as it was gradually getting further and further away from lunch break, and everyone would have returned back to their desks and their jobs by now. 

Eyeing the material hung up on racks with little regard for any security, you used a spare pinkie finger to hook the material of your hood and tug it up and over your head. Toriel, who was currently admiring some of the items on sale that she passed by was distracted. You used this as an opportunity to lose her, stopping in your tracks as she walked on without you, before spinning on your heel and starting a swift pace in the other direction and throwing yourself around a corner.  
You paused, pressing your back against a wall and holding your breath for the tell-tale sound of Toriel's voice, though it seemed you evaded her- for the next ten seconds, at least. 

You wasted no time, immediately setting off yet again, tilting your head at an angle to get a rough layout of all the camera's spread out across the shopping centre. You were taking a few minor precautions, though you weren't very concerned. After all, this wasn't your universe. Even if there was some other version of you in this world, they would be getting the blame- not you.  
You were willing to let another take the blame for the benefit of Papyrus and Sans. You were just doing what you thought you had too.

Left and right, your eyes looked out for any other living creatures, ears stretching out for anyone approaching. Deciding it was now or never, you casually approached one of the stores, fingers hooking onto the ends of a shirt hung up on display outside the shop and snatching it off the coat-hanger, stashing it in one of the bags filled with your clothes. You repeated this several times with a few odd shirts and odd pair of shorts, movements swift and calculative, making sure to keep your head down and stick to the walls. 

It was a lot easier to get away with theft then most realised, if was merely nerves that tended to be the downfall of others. You'd come to learn to swallow those nerves, become numb to any possible consequence. You just did nowadays- saving the thinking for later. 

It was a lot harder to find something that would fit Papyrus, though thankfully he had always been mostly comfortable in his own skeleton and didn't mind showing off a bit of spine.  
You didn't take in excessive amounts, just enough for Papyrus and Sans to get by with in a more comfortable manner. Anymore and you'd be asking to be caught. That, and you had sworn you'd just heard Toriel call out your name in the distance just now and you were panicking. 

Gritting your teeth, you shoved in one last pair of white socks and scattered away from the entrance of a shop and towards the carpark. You'd wait there, until Toriel eventually came back. 

You slouched across the side of Toriel's minivan, clinging onto the handles of the plastic bags like a lifeline as you waited. It was silent, one or twice you had someone walk by to get in their car or enter the shop, but otherwise, you were left unbothered. You were a little surprised actually, by how dedicated Toriel seemed to be on finding you.  
You were a little worried she had called the cops or some other authority to try to find you- or worse, Classic.

To your relief, and apparently hers as well, a rough estimate of forty minutes later Toriel appeared, paw clenched over her chest as she gasped. "Y/n! Where have you been?"

"Here."

"This whole time?" You nodded as she gaped at you, chest heaving as she let out a breath, tension escaping her. "Where did you wander of too?"

You shrugged, "Saw some jacket I liked, stopped and you walked away without me noticing," The lies flowed easily. You weren't a fan of dishonesty yourself, though you did so without hesitation. Sometimes not knowing the truth can be better for a person. 

Toriel seemed to consider your response but wasn't overly paranoid with your suspicious disappearing act. That, or she was just good at hiding her suspicions. "Ah, I see. That may have also been partially my fault. I was rather distracted looking at some particularly pretty dresses."

"Hm," you hummed in acknowledgment, before nodding towards the car, gesturing for Toriel to open it. She seemed to have gotten the message, the car beeping as it unlocked and you pulled the door open, "You should have gotten the purple one," you commented, resting your hands on the top of the car to help yourself duck inside. 

"Pardon?" Toriel sounded surprised, and you halted your actions to glance over at her.

"You should have gotten the purple dress," you repeated, rather bored with this line of conversation as you remembered how you caught her staring at that particular dress rather fondly, “You shouldn’t hesitate about making small decisions like that. You’ll regret them later.”

You slipped back into the car, doing your seatbelt without any reminder from Toriel this time and faced the window, letting her know you weren't up for conversation. You just wanted to get back to the house and hide away in your room again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got a perspective from Paps! (He's not taking having his human missing very well)
> 
> Looks like MC is using her new found freedom to her advantage- better hope she doesn't get caught. Who knows what'll happen if the law end up getting involved 0.0
> 
> Except this world's her won't get in trouble, because she never existed. 


	18. MUFFETS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MC takes a visit to Muffet's bakery- she takes full advantage of the situation.
> 
> Muffet low key keeps flirting with MC but MC is totally oblivious. Muffet sees you and wants a **taste.** lol I'm not sorry. 

You were excited. It was Friday morning and Frisk and Chara were running around the house, pulling on their shoes and running combs through their hair.  
It was slightly chaotic, though you had adjusted to the morning routine in Toriel's house. The reason you were excited, however, was because you were going to see Papyrus' and Sans' tomorrow morning. You can't remember being this eager for anything since you found out the barrier broke. 

You'd already eaten breakfast, though still remained in your seat at the dining table, watching as Toriel helped Frisk and Chara pulled the straps of their bags over their shoulders. The bus would be pulling up at the bus stop across the road in a few minutes, and the pair of children were eager to head out the door and go to school.

You weren't entirely sure if that eagerness was a 'them' thing, or if children in this universe were just genuinely excited to go to school. If that were the case, kids here are dorks. 

"See ya mum!" The children sang, giddily skipping out the door after receiving their mother's firm kisses to their foreheads. It was very peaceful to watch, it was something you'd expect to see right out of the movies. It was funny to see such a scenario working out in real life. 

"See you Y/n," To your shock, you found Frisk gazing up at you through their thick eyelashes, a small, but pleasant smile stretched across their lips. 

"Uh...see you too?" Frisk's smile morphed into a toothy grin as they giggled at your awkwardness, jumping forward and wrapping their arms around your chest.  
You were frozen.  
Frisk's body was warmer than you remembered any touch to be. Their heat seeped through the material of your jumper and a content shiver crawled down your spine. It'd been forever since you'd last embraced another human. While you were regularly this close with Sans and Papyrus, they only radiated little warmth- nothing compared to a humans touch. 

Hesitantly- cautiously, you lifted an arm and ruffled the small kid's hair. Pouting, they pulled back, frowning playfully as they attempted to quickly fix their hair and running out the door to catch up with Chara, only stopping briefly to give you a quick wave goodbye. 

You quickly felt your skin prickle, fingers twitching as your body desperately started to crave the now missing warmth. 

With another shudder, this one unpleasant, you stood from your seat and began a slow ascent back upstairs into your room to hide yourself under your covers. 

"Y/n," you halted, throwing a glance over your shoulder to see what Toriel wanted, before shuffling around completely. "How are you feeling?"  
You shrugged, slightly put off by Toriel's behaviour. Toriel- seemingly expecting such a reply was unfazed, and continued in the real direction of where this conversation was going. "Well, I was thinking that perhaps we'd do something today," She paused to gauze your reaction, smiling politely in encouragement.

So she wanted you to go out of the house? Again?  
You certainly didn't mind going out- it was where you were going too that you were concerned about. You just didn't deal well with crowded areas. You were really hoping she wasn't going to suggest the mall again. Cautiously, you shrugged again, tucking your hands away in the pockets of your hoodie.

"Perhaps Muffet's bakery? I know for a fact that she is in today." You paused, considering the offer. Muffet's clothes shop didn't seem all too popular, you hadn't seen anyone go inside other than yourself, perhaps her bakery was the same way? "Besides, it would be rude to not take her up on her offer."

You stared, a habit that you picked up from Sans. Gazing numbly into the crimson red of Toriel's eyes until she shifted uncomfortably under your intense gaze. "Sure," Toriel seemed to sigh as you shifted your gaze, "when?"

"I was thinking perhaps when you finish getting ready?"

Nodding in confirmation, you turned to leave, this time with no interruption. 

You were looking forward to seeing Sans and Papyrus tomorrow- though there was only one thing you needed to figure out.  
How exactly were you going to bring the stuff you got for them without Toriel noticing? 

You figured you'd just use a bag and hope Toriel wouldn't ask any unnecessary questions. If she did, well, you could just always lie to her. Not much she could do about it. 

The bags stuffed full of clothing were still left pressed against the wall of your room, with the occasional shirt or pair of underwear having been strewn across the floor. You hadn't bothered to unpack anything, rather just stuffing all of the stuff for Sans and Papyrus in one bag- ready to go. Toriel and the kids never came in here anyway, so you didn't worry about it. 

Gradually, you'd begun to adjust to the sight of your new room. You were certainly not very fond of it for obvious reasons, but at least you could wake up and not forget where you are.  
The first morning here had been quite a shock. You'd tossed under the warmth of your blankets, tucked snugged under the sheets and pressed into the mattress and had decided you'd let Papyrus come wake you up that morning.  
Not long after had you slowly noticed the room gradually getting brighter. You'd frowned and begun to worry- sleeping in was something Papyrus hardly, if ever did. The latest he'd ever slept in too was roughly seven in the morning- an hour you'd still easily refer to as unholy. 

It was that worry that caused you to pry open yours eyes, only to jolt up straight, entangled in your bedsheets to find lemon yellow walls staring back at you. Your heart would have had to skipped a beat, ready to pounce out of bed and hunt for Papyrus and Sans, only to sourly remember where you were, and why.

Perhaps it was a mistake to challenge Classic. Perhaps you'd still be besides your favourite brothers if only you'd decided to shut your mouth and remain compliant.  
…  
Gritting your teeth, you scowled at yourself. You weren't about to question your decisions now. Long term consequences be damned.

Agreeing to go with Toriel was the only safe option. This wasn't your universe- you were intruders. You'd had quite literally the whole world against you with no where to run and no where to hide. You'd have to work with this, for now.

Crouching over the series of bags, you lazily pulled out a few items to throw across your limbs and a thick winter coat. Fingers rubbing at the material of the coat, you decided that you would have to give Muffet credit in the regard that she certainly had a talent.  
You were far from an expert, but even you could tell that the quality of the clothing was high. 

Before you left the room, you merely stared blankly around the area, hand hovering over the door's handle. Despite the happy family living in this house, the constant smiles and laughter, the obvious affection and love the three felt for each other, there was something unsettling about this house when it was quiet.  
Almost like if you were to listen closely enough, you'd hear something you weren't supposed to.

With a shrug you stumbled out the door, swinging it shut behind you and heading straight to the front door, where Toriel would be undoubtedly, patiently waiting.  
To your correct assumption, you found the goat-lady with her favourite handbag displayed across her shoulder. She turned and smiled down at you, clasping her hands together, "Oh good, you are ready. Well then, we may as well get going."

Once again you found yourself in Toriel's cherry red minivan, though this time you opted to sit in the back seat behind the passenger seat, where Chara usually sat. That hug from earlier was still making your skin pinch and you wrapped your jacket around your body further. Right now you didn't feel like being within arms reach of anybody.

Toriel acknowledged your change in seating with a small frown, but not one out of any anger- rather some other emotion you couldn't place. Ignoring it, you shifted in your seat with your legs pressed up against you to stare out the window.  
It didn't matter how many times you looked up or outside- it still felt unreal. Still felt as if at any moment you could have everything stripped away from you as you realised it was all some petty dream. You were on the surface physically, though sometimes you couldn't help but think you'd left your mind back there- underground. 

The drive to Muffet's was short, perhaps only ten or fifteen minutes, a very convenient distance. Toriel had driven into some sort of strip of restaurants, cafes and other similar shops of the sort. Mentally you noted the directions towards here, significant land marks and the such- this would be a great place to bring Papyrus and Sans. After all, you three were very fond of food.

It was fairly busy, but once again it was a weekday, one before lunch at that. As such it only made sense for the streets to be calmer than usual. It didn't take Toriel very long to find a parking space and you were more than a little surprised when you figured out exactly which store you were going into. It was hard to miss really, as the entire building was royal purple and out front in large bold letters was literally 'MUFFETS' (this woman really liked the colour purple). 

What you were surprised about though, was just how many people were inside. Though not populated with overwhelming numbers, it was still a drastic increase from what you would have expected. Toriel glanced back at you from her rear review mirror and noticed your surprise, chuckling, "Yes, Muffets is very popular. We are lucky to have caught her on one of her slower hours."

Your eyes shifted back to the goat woman curiously, before you pushed open your door and slid outside. The first thing you noticed was the dramatic decrease in temperature. You were already regretting getting out of the car- or even leaving the house. Hopefully the bakery would have some kind of warm air conditioning.

You followed behind Toriel's confident striding, wandering in the (thankfully heated) bakery and taking in your surroundings. There would have had to have been at least ten people inside, a few in the queue and the rest sitting at a table or in a chair, you took a mental count to confirm. 

Both you and Toriel joined in the three person queue and stood in silence. Your eyes slid down from the blackboard nailed to the back wall with all the menu's items and instead carried downwards, towards the sweet goods hiding behind a glass display case.  
Inside were a variety of cupcakes and donuts, glazed with purple and white icing. On top of the display case sat a quaint little sign with little spiders drawn onto it stating 'made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders!'. If you recalled correctly, it was the same thing Muffet had said to you a few days previous. 

You'd have thought that perhaps people would be more wary of Muffet's shop with a sign like that, though that didn't appear to stop anyone here. It only further peaked your interest. And your hunger.

"Y/n dearie~!" 

You hadn't realised that you'd moved up in line until you'd been so rudely interrupted from your intimate gazing with a violently attractive donut. Glancing upward, you met Muffet's eyes- well, at least her main pair. "Uh, hey," you greeted awkwardly, eyes shifting back to the display case momentarily before returning to the purple woman in front of you.

"I'm so glad that you decided to come for a visit. I am also glad to be seeing you, Toriel," Muffet smiled politely at the goat lady, and Toriel returned the favour. Though the attention on Toriel didn't last long, as it was suddenly thrust upon yourself yet again. "Anyhow, what can I get for you?"

You paused, unsure. You already knew that you wanted that sweetly seductive donut in your mouth, though glanced up curiously at Toriel first. You felt like a small child having to ask an adult for permission to buy something, though it wasn't your money after all, asking is the least you could do.  
Toriel smiled and nodded- consent.

With an eager smirk you redirected your gaze back to the sleek purple donut, "That one please," you pointed out, and Muffet moved to grab your order for you, placing it neatly in a white paper bag, preparing to slide it over to you and begin the payment process.  
Oh no- you were not done yet. Toriel never specified what you could or couldn't get or how much- she'd practically given a little kid her credit card and then written the pin on their wrists with that little nod of approval. 

Couching, you inspected the many choices critically, keeping yourself steady by placing your hands on the glass. "Also that one," you pointed over to the back, a slice of red velvet cake and cream cheese icing. You barely registered Muffet's giggle at your behaviour, before you began pointing out several more items that you wanted.  
You hadn't had cake or most other types of baked goods in years, the only other thing being Toriel's cinnamon-butterscotch pie. Which was sightly strange to you, though perhaps it was because you had grown up eating meat pies. 

"Ahuhu~ I'm flattered you wish to try so much of my food- though you haven't even eaten anything of mine before." You paused, glancing up to find both Muffet's and Toriel's amused stares. Hesitantly, you stood up from your spot and shrugged, looking over to Muffet.

"I know good food when I see it."

Muffet paused, before giggling, flashing you a sweet smile. "Well, good to know you are someone with good tastes dearie. A flatterer, is what you are."

Quirking an eyebrow curiously, you weren't entirely sure what she was going on about but continued the conversation anyway as Muffet began packing away all your desired items. You could already taste the sugary sweetness melting on your tongue, your hunger tied itself in knots in anticipation.  
"This place is pretty popular, huh?" You commented, trying to distract yourself from the grinding of your teeth and prying your eyes away from the baked goods behind the display cases. 

Muffet hummed, lips piercing as if she were in thought, "Well, perhaps among the regular customers," she sighed, stuffing in a cinnamon bun in alongside a few chocolate chip cookies. 

"These are all regular customers?" You questioned sceptically. Hadn't Toriel mentioned that this was a slow hour? She must have a awful lot of 'regular customers'.

"You see, dearie, monsters have only been on the surface here for about a year and as such, there are still many of those who are...unaccepting," You didn't need to hear anything else to know exactly where this was going, "Luckily there are plenty of those who are, and make it routine to come in and buy themselves a bite to eat- lovely humans they are."

After a few moments of silence, you hummed in acknowledgment quietly. You hadn't witnessed any kind of monster discrimination as of your time having being spent on the surface, though if racism against monsters was a thing here, you could only imagine how prominent it might have been in your world, where monsters were more... unhinged.

"Ah yes, there are still a few problems, but I must say I think we have made incredible progress in the short time we have been here," Toriel broke the tense silence with her hopeful comment. "What about back in your home, Y/n? How did you first meet Axe and Crooks? Were humans on the surface very accepting there?"

You knew very well that this was just Toriel's attempt at getting you to open up to her. Perhaps she thought that if she knew more about you she'd be able to find some sort of common ground. With a grimace, you stared intensely down at the bagged baked goods. " _we_ were still underground."

The two women around you were silent, no doubt shocked. You were almost amused when you realised that the thought that perhaps you were underground too would have never crossed either of their minds. 

"You...were underground too?" Toriel questioned. You stared up at her, ignoring Muffet's gaze on the side of your face. 

"We're closer than you may realise," you stated, knowing fully that Toriel would know exactly who you were referring to. "Sooner or later you'll realise it was a mistake taking me away from them."

And just as quickly did Toriel fix the tense atmosphere was it back. Eyes stretched wide and posture tense, you knew that Toriel had been made uneasy by your warning. A frown tugged at the edges of her lips and she sighed heavily.

"Y/n," she started, eyebrows furrowing as she stared at you with hard eyes- searching your expression, but you refused to let her find anything. "Tell me honestly... Do you really hate it here with me... with Frisk and Chara that much?"

….

"Yes."


	19. REUNION

You were a lot better at this game than they had probably anticipated.  
Hide and seek was a favourite of yours as a kid, hunting and tracking also happen to be your specialty. 

Frisk and Chara had wedged themselves in between furniture and sat snug in the cracks and crevices of the house, though they wouldn't be hard to find. You played along anyway.  
Currently, the house was mostly silent as you sat in the living room counting in your head. You strained yourself to hear for any notices, the panting of breath, the pitter patter of feet sprinting down the hallway or ducking corners upstairs.  
Where Toriel currently was wasn't much of a concern for you, instead you focused on playing enough rounds of this game to sate the two kids that had somehow managed to rope you into playing. There were a few reasons you had chosen to play, one being quite obviously because it was a favourite- there was always a certain thrill that came with a chase, stalking down your prey. The other reason you agreed was to pass the time. It was Saturday morning and apparently you weren't going to see Sans and Papyrus until 10, which was still another hour away.  
You'd even gotten up extra early, eager to see your boys.  
It was a stupid rule, and you made sure to moan and complain about it audibly to anyone and everyone around. They made you wait an entire week- you were sick of waiting. You wanted to see them.

With gritted teeth you acknowledged that it had been about a minute, and rose to your feet from the cushioned lounge, glancing at both entries of the opposite sides of the rooms and pondering which way to travel. Making a quick decision you turn left, in the direction the two had run off in and begin down the hallway, putting the tips of your feet on the ground to muffle the sound of your own footsteps.  
This would have had to have been your fifth round, and you found that both Frisk and Chara liked to skitter around and change their locations, as such, you'd learned the easiest way of finding them was by taking them by surprise.

You peeked into the library, light dissipating the thickly laid darkness having settled in the room. You instantly knew that neither were inside, if they had been, they would have opened a curtain or a window. Both children you found to be very brave though both preferred to stay away from the dark and would generally turn a light on unless they had no other option. 

Pushing the wooden door shut, you were silently thankfully for well greased hinges and crept further down the hallway, slipping into rooms and giving each a quick run down. You'd just about sated with your inspection downstairs, about to begin your ascent up when a quiet clutter drew your attention. It came from the kitchen- quiet, but otherwise noticeable if you were really listening.

With a smirk pulling at the ends of your lips you soundlessly spun on your heel and crept in the direction the noise had originated from. Having entered the kitchen, you noted it was once again silent, though this time, there was no where for them to go. 

This time, you didn't bother to cover up the sound of your footsteps, instead forcing them against the wooden floor harder than usually to exaggerate your inevitable victory. Swinging open a few cupboards and draws, you concluded they would have to be under the kitchen sink. Marching straight up towards the place in which they were no doubt anxiously hiding, you paused, before retreating.

With an amused grin you pushed yourself up on top of the bench on their left, sitting soundlessly and waiting for them to gain the confidence to crawl out. 

Once upon a time you'd been a rather impatient kid. You didn't wait around for anything or anyone, life was constantly on the go and so were you. In your eyes, you'd be damned if you got left behind, and instead left everyone else behind. The underground had taught you patience.  
Thus, you found it easy to sit in the company of your own thoughts atop the kitchen counter, eyes tracing the outline of the room in attempt to distract yourself.

Another clatter- your eyes shot back to the cupboard they were hiding in, legs twitching on instinct to pounce, though you had refrained from doing so before you had completely slipped off the counter. The cupboard door pushed open, a hand in full view than a green sleeve, Chara slipped out and not even a second later did Frisk. The two grinned mischievously at each other, ready to sprint away and find some other elaborate place to hide. You were honestly pleasantly surprised to have found them both together, as much as you liked the principals behind hide and seek, it just wasn't the same as actually stalking and tracing down someone- the adrenaline that burned beneath your skin and willed your feet further, forced your body to the extreme until your legs couldn't support your weight any longer.  
It was a rush, a high- and you were addicted.  
The round after this one would probably be your last.

"Eep!" Frisk jumped, sending Chara rapidly spinning on their feet to go and see what the cause for the noise was, only to jump back a step in surprise. 

A pleased grin threatened to pull at your lips as the children's reactions, but you instead slipped from the bench and tucked your hands away in your hoodie, looking over to Chara. "Your turn, saw you first."

Chara took a moment longer to register your words before pouting, "Aw c'mon. We thought you left!"

You shrugged, glancing over to Frisk who's expression was matching Chara's. It was amazing and almost disturbing how alike the two looked. You'd think that perhaps they were siblings, though you had already been briefly informed- well, briefly overheard that they were in fact, completely unrelated. 

With a huff, Chara turned on their heel to head over to the living room where they would count, "fiiiine. You got a minute."

Frisk grinned mischievously grinned and bolted in the opposite direction and down the hall. You, on the other hand, waited for Chara to reach a safe distance away from you before you began your quick ascent up the stairs. You didn't want to accidently run into Frisk and risk having to share a hiding spot. 

You managed to keep an even pace once you reached upstairs, knowing if you walked any quicker they'd be able to hear your footsteps from downstairs. You past a few rooms, considering the layout of each and where it would be appropriate for you to hide. It would be a lot harder to keep yourself hidden in a terrain such as this, Frisk and Chara although, were very small and could fit in and in between most places. You had no doubt Toriel must have a hard time keeping up with the two energetic children at times. 

"Y/n." A sharp, firm familiar voice called your name, and you knew instantly, you were fucked.  
You weren't sure what for or why, but the scolding was evident in the pronunciation in each letter. Limbs stiffer then usual, you turned around, tense, to face Toriel. 

Her crimson red eyes bored into you and her nostrils flared- though it wasn't the evident disappointment in her gaze that made you grimace- it was the article of clothing she was holding limply in her fluffy white paw- held up in the air for all to witness.  
Well, you had half an idea about what the following conversation was going to be about.  
"With me, now."

She spun harshly on her foot, marching to her doorway and waiting with furrowed eyebrows and stern eyes for you to follow. Faltering, you forced your feet forward and slipped into Toriel's room.  
It was exactly how you expected it to be- impeccable.  
You only briefly acknowledged your surroundings- the turquoise walls, the potted plants, books, before turning to face Toriel as she closed the door.  
"Human. Do you care to explain?"

You eyed the grey turtle neck jumper hooked on the ends of her claws warily, before shifting your eyes back up to meet hers and shrugged. Apparently that was the wrong thing to do, as that only made her more upset. "Y/n, you do realise what you have done do you not? You have stolen!"

You didn't try to justify yourself, rather standing in silence, preparing yourself for the harsh scolding. Not that you'd have time to anyway, as Toriel quickly continued.

"You have wrongfully taken something that is not yours! You do realise that that kind of behaviour is simply unacceptable?" You didn't nod nor shake your head, merely stared. You knew very well what you did was against the law, but in your opinion, it was far from wrong. It was survival of the fittest- kill or be killed. You did what you needed to in order to survive. One may argue that you may not need to live by such laws in modern day society, but you'd disagree. 

People have hidden behind the law, social standards and the general accepted morals in order to feel safe- In order to pretend that they aren't struggling to survive just like all every other creature on this planet. In the end humans are just animals, and whether it's through instinct or law, everybody is still just clawing and scrambling over everyone else to get to the top.  
When push comes to shove, you all fall victim to instinct. 

"Y/n! Do not ignore me when I am trying to speak with you!" You briefly realised you'd gotten lost in your thoughts when Toriel snatched you out of them, "Do you understand the weight of what you have done?"

From the firmness and pointedness in each word you felt as if that wasn't the first time she had asked you that. Honestly, you felt like keeping quiet and just waiting until the conversation was over, but felt as if that would be a bad idea. You had too much to loose. "Not really," you replied honestly, forcing as much nonchalance into your sentence as you could. 

Toriel seemed a tad bit surprised, though she should really be expecting this kind of thing from you by now. Toriel squinted at your suspiciously, calculatedly, "Then please, go on and justify whatever explanation you have for your wrongdoings."

You paused, acknowledging the slight jitteriness of your hands, clenching and pinching at the fabric of your jacket. "Need it." You spoke quieter than previously, though purposefully refrained from displaying any emotion. She didn't need to know just how angry you were- at Classic, at yourself, at this entire goddamn universe. 

You couldn't help but think you'd made things worse by not shutting your mouth and doing as you were told. If only you'd swallowed your anger beforehand, you'd still be back there, with Sans and Papyrus. Watching the sun rise and fall together, ducking your heads in whatever room you were in to check on each other every few hours and regularly hoarding the contents of the fridge to force feed one another. It was your fault you were here and you'd be damned if you made things worse- not just for yourself, but for your boys too.

"Y/n, did I not already tell you that if you were to ever require something, to merely tell me? There was no need to take any of these items! They aren't even your size, all of them are far too large for you," It was obvious Toriel was having no bullshit and you grit your teeth, directing your gaze over to the closed door behind the goat woman.  
You briefly wondered if Chara had found Frisk yet.  
They wouldn't be finding you anytime soon.

"...I needed them," you repeated, refraining from making eye contact, "For Sans and Papyrus."

Toriel's teeth clacked shut, and she stared down at you- her burning gaze increasingly dampening, as if they were loosing their intensity. The body of silence resting on your shoulders was one of surprise, you found the confidence to look up at the towering woman and found an expression of realisation twisted on her features. 

"I am a fool." She muttered blankly, eyes turned in your direction but held no real focus. "I am unsure how I hadn't pieced that together myself."

You felt as if she wasn't done, and remained silent, a little anxious about this sudden shift in demeanour. It was throwing you off and you begun to feel unsettled. 

"Y/n, please answer me honestly- I wish only to assist you. Why is it that you and your versions of Sans and Papyrus were not permitted to leave the house?"

Your gaze burnt into Toriel's, but her eyes never faltered. She was determined to get answers. "Because of what they look like. What we've been through."

"And what precisely is it that the three of you have been through?" 

This was it- the question. You'd already had to explain it once and you felt sick at the thought of doing so again. You had the confidence to explain, but it appeared you body was working against you. You felt heavy- unable to pry open your lips, words caught in your throat and dying. Last time you had the comfort of being with Sans and Papyrus- now you were alone.  
Over the years you'd grown to be comfortable feeling like a predator- right now, you couldn't help but feel like the prey.

"We were starving." 

It was three simple words that took the breath out of Toriel's throat, choking on her words. With widened eyes the air turned thick as the wheels spun in her head. Then it clicked- and she swallowed heavily. It appeared she was unable to formulate the right words to say, jaw swinging open before clicking shut repeatedly as she racked her brain for the correct response.  
There wasn't one.

"I..." She paused, reconsidering her sentence after the past few minutes of harsh silence, "I apologise, Y/n. For not having pieced things together sooner... And for not talking to Sans more thoroughly sooner."

Staring, you were a little enamoured with the colour of the goat woman's eyes. It was a deep red, deeper than even Chara's. The colour was thick like the hot liquid running under flesh, you felt as if you were to get a taste the two would be identical.  
Shrugging, you focused your gaze at one of your shoes, teeth repeatedly clenching progressively harder until they began to ache.  
"Can we just go now?"

Toriel was silent, and you were holding on desperately to the hope that she'd say yes. You needed to see your boys. Needed to feel the smoothness of bone and smell the slight sweetness of magic. You needed it bad- needed it now. Being away from them for so long was killing you- felt as if every last ounce of self control turned on you and begun to rip away with it's teeth at your soul. You couldn't take it anymore. You needed them **now.**

"Why do you wish to stay there?" The question caught your attention, momentarily distracting you from the thoughts quickly spiralling downwards and into the mouth of the hunger at the back of your mind. "If you are treated so poorly, then why go there?"

Glaring, you forced what you hoped conveyed all of the anger and desperation swelling painfully in your chest at her. She knew exactly why you wanted to go there- why you hated it here. This wasn't home. Home was wherever they were.  
Sans and Papyrus are your home. 

"Very well," you took that as confirmation you were going and your heart soared. Your feet were already picking up the pace towards the door when Toriel's following sentence stopped you dead in your tracks. "I do not see it fit for you to be staying somewhere you are clearly so unhappy to be."

Your jaw hung loosely, eyes stretched wide. You were still facing the doorway, afraid to turn around and find that it was all some sort of cruel trick. All in your head. "I-..I w-"

"-Pack your things, I will let Sans know you are no longer staying with us. We'll need to make a quick stop back at the mall so I can pay for everything you have stolen on the way."

Turning around, your wide eyes locked with Toriel's. You inspected her face, searching for any hint of a lie or trickery and swallowed thickly.  
She was serious.

\-----

You were already throwing off your belt and jumping out the car seat long before the car stopped, bolting out of the car as if it had burnt you. Papyrus was already waiting on the front veranda, grin stretched further than you could remember it having been. Knowing him, he'd probably been waiting out front all day.  
You'd never been more glad to see those teeth of his- they may be disformed and disfigured, but you loved them. Because they belonged to him. 

You threw each other at the other, bodies colliding as your chest was forced against Papyrus' ribs. You felt his arms curl around you and lift you from the ground, pulling you tightly and exchanging warmth.  
You were so close- you could feel the outline of each ribs, smell the scent of bone and feel the ever so subtle warmth his bones radiated. He pressed your body against his as if he was trying to merge the two of you and you could feel the excitement and joy radiating off of him from every touch of bone that brushed against your skin. 

No sooner did you feel another pair of arms slither around your waist, not quite having made it too your torso from their reach from down on the ground. A boney face nuzzled it's nose into the depth of your back, sharpened phalanges squeezing almost painfully into your hips. 

They were here- they were so close. Oh god you didn't realise the full extent of how much you missed them until you were in each other's embrace. 

You couldn't find it in you to care about who was watching. Obviously neither did Sans nor Papyrus.  
Your soul had relaxed, felt calmer than you'd ever felt before. Content, even. This was where you were supposed to be- where you belonged. Even your soul knew that. You were so glad to be back- no body would ever separate you again. You'd made up your mind. You'd **never** let something like this happen again. You'd kill the person who tried. 

"Y/n! Oh How I Missed You So Much!" Your arms tightened around Papyrus as you grinned into the crook of his neck as he refused to let you down. Sans' skull had moved from your back but his hands rested on your calves, desperate to maintain some form of contact. "I Am So Glad To Have You Here Again! I Do Not Think I Can Bare Having You Away Again!"

Your heart skipped a beat in anticipation- you couldn't wait for their reactions at the news.

"You won't have to," you couldn't restrain the giddiness in your tone, cheeks hurting from the intensity of your smiling.

"What Do You Mea-"

"-I'm not going back. I'm staying."


	20. BAD TIMES

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Classic get's verbally assaulted by Toriel.
> 
> MC is very happy to be back with her boys, hopefully things will start returning to normal soon.  
> Though 'normal' never lasts.
> 
> Classic isn't a bad guy, he just hates having to look at his brother and see what the world has done to him. Hates having to look at himself and see what he could have been. Hates looking at you and knowing he may never find a human he can trust like they can. 

**"Sans."**

The round faced skeleton spun on his heel to face the towering goat-lady. He grinned casually, but the sweat forming at the base of his skull was enough of a tell for Toriel to know exactly how he was feeling. Classic didn't need to look at Toriel's expression to hear the anger firm in her voice.  
"Heya Tori, good to see ya..."

Classic's eye-lights shifted to avoid Toriel's gaze, desperately searching for anything else to look at except her as he rocked awkwardly on his feet. Toriel's frown further tugged on the edges of her lips until they ached- she'd never been this disappointed in Classic before. Frankly, she didn't think she'd ever have to be. This whole revelation came as a big shock to her.  
It was hard to believe someone she regarded so highly had knowingly left her out on so many important details, had abused their power and neglected the needs of three who were most vulnerable.

Toriel generally stayed away from the room you had been provided within her house, you were having a hard enough time as it was and the last thing she wanted to do was invade your privacy and cause further tension between herself and you. It was only after about a week of you having stayed at her place did she feel as if she was on good enough terms to be able to check up on you.  
You were rather quiet and locked yourself up in your room all day, she couldn't help but wonder what you got up to. There wasn't a television nor any books, and as far as she was aware you didn't have any phone of your own. It was hard to believe that you just sat there all day, left to your thoughts. 

As such, she found herself knocking on your door. All she planned to do was peek her head in and see how you were doing before returning to her own business. It was a small, but not insignificant step towards what Toriel hoped was establishing a better relationship with you.  
By no means was she trying to befriend you- but she had always been a pacific inclined monster, and would rather try and fix a problem rather than worsen it. 

Upon her second knock with no response from you did she decide to duck her head inside, only to find the room empty. With furrowed eyebrows Toriel suddenly remembered her children pulling at the ends of her dress while yapping something about hide and seek previously. She realised that they must have gotten to you too, and won.  
It was just as she was about to leave did she notice the lines of bags pressed up against the wall. Toriel rolled her eyes to herself in amusement at your laziness- it kind of reminded her of Classic.  
Deciding that there couldn't be any harm, she went to put away all your clothes for you. Even if you didn't appreciate the favour, it would be better than merely leaving the room a mess.  
It was those events that lead Toriel to have found the stolen clothing, and so on.

It was strange how a series of seemingly unrelated coincidences could lead to such dramatic changes. 

"You, Sans, are in for a very _bad time._ "

Classic winced, skull sinking into the hood of his jacket. He didn't attempt to come up with excuses or play ignorant- he knew exactly what he had done, and knew exactly that he deserved whatever came next. He was the Judge, but today he was the one on trial.

"You have been dishonest with me Sans- kept secrets from me. Not only have you **abused** your power as leader of this household but **abused** my trust as your friend!"

Classic visibly dwindled, cowering into the depths of his clothing and his pinpricks shrunk to a quarter of the size they usually where. His gazed was locked with Toriel's, never wavering as if he was afraid to look away. Toriel had always had that kind of influence over him, if it were anyone other than herself or Papyrus scolding Classic like she was he'd probably not give them the time of day- but this was different, he was in deep shit. The people he trusted most were disappointed in him.  
"Toriel- I know, I know I messed up. I know it isn't right-"

"-If you know all of this, then tell me Sans, _why aren't you doing anything about it?_ Why did you do it in the first place?"

Classic froze, swallowing his words. He found the courage to shift his gaze and clenched his hands inside of the comfort of his pockets. He stared hard at the carpet beneath him, as if would somehow provide him with the answers he needed. Unfortunately there was no such luck. He was by himself- alone with his sins crawling up his back. "I don't- I don't know Tori...I don't know," he trailed off, teeth visibly clenching as he stared desperately at anywhere except the furious gaze hammering into his skull, 

"They were starving Sans," Toriel stated, voice calm but not enough so to hide the underlying anger seething underneath. "They'd been hurt, and injured, and left to **starve!** " Toriel knew that Classic was well aware of the conditions that Y/n, Crooks and Axe had lived through, she could see it burnt into his expression, weighing on his shoulders and hiding in his sockets. "They'd been trapped underground for stars knows how long, and when they finally reached the surface- finally achieve the one thing they'd been desperately hoping for their entire lives? When they finally escaped the prison of in which we are all so familiar with yet so much worse- _you go and take that freedom away?_ "

The air felt heavy pinching and prodding at exposed limbs with it's electric touch, the presence of magic crackling in the air as it sparked underneath Toriel's skin, throbbing at the base of her fingers, ready to be used at her own whim. Classic was silent- near as quiet as the absence of sound that had settled in the room.  
Classic had hid himself in his jacket as if he didn't exist, having already taken several steps backwards in attempts to escape Toriel's wrath.  
Toriel was a peaceful monster- but today there was no mercy.

"I am **disgusted** in your behaviour."

That was it- the final blow.  
Classic's pinpricks faded as the darkness consumed the little lights that illuminated his sockets. He was still- eerily so, one may have even mistaken him as a mere prop.  
The sweat the beaded across his skull and clung to his bones had vanished, there was no expression pulled across his teeth- just a mere absence of life. As if nobody was home.

Toriel near felt bad. She knew what she had said had hurt Classic deeply, knew that it had struck him straight in the soul.  
Classic was a man of many mysteries, though it was no secret to her about one of the things he feared most.  
And one of them happened to be being rejected by, disgusted in by the people he was closest too. They were heavy words that he'd reluctantly told her after years of knock knock jokes shared through the thickness of a heavy wooden door. Words that he'd trusted her with, among many others.  
Toriel knew that her words would stick with the skeleton for a long time- echo in the bad of his skull for ages to come, a reminder of all his wrongdoings, of his deepest regrets. 

Perhaps it was wrong of her to use such personal words against him, words that he'd hoped he'd never have to hear from either her or Papyrus' mouths.  
Toriel gripped at the guilt clinging to her soul and buried it away into the deepest darkest corners of her being.  
Classic had made a terrible decision, and it was her obligation as his friend to put him back in his place before he ever made another one. 

"You have one- _one- _," Classic jumped at her sudden spike in tone, eye-lights and sweat alike having since returned, "-chance, Sans. I do hope you can compensate for what you have done."__

__Unsure on what to do with himself, he nodded hesitantly. Sweat had increased tenfold. He was afraid of whatever Toriel may come up with next- despite however right she may be in her words._ _

__"To assist you with this, I'll let you know exactly what is going to happen," Toriel paused, looking over at Classic from down her nose, "Firstly, Y/n will be staying here with you from now on."_ _

__Classic froze, jaw locked in place. He was tense and it was obvious he wished to detest against her words. Toriel's gaze was hard and unforgiving and Classic shrunk once again, fully understanding the words her eyes spoke. His eye-lights shifted to avoid hers, and he slouched with his hands tucked away in his pockets to solemnly listen to whatever demands Toriel possessed._ _

__"Secondly, they _are_ to be let out of the house. I don't care how or when- put them under supervision whenever they decide to leave if you wish- it isn't my business, but keeping them trapped here is _wrong_ Sans. It's downright disgraceful- shameful."_ _

__Classic was unresponsive to Toriel words, though she knew he was taking it all to heart. A lecture such as the one Toriel was laying on thickly now, was one that would stick. She was certain of it.  
He was disappointed in his actions, that she knew. Though she'd be a fool if she thought that disappointment would stop a person. She'd witnessed many capable of ignoring even the most torturous of torment and regret and warped themselves in the process. She'd be damned if she let Classic join them._ _

__"Lastly, I expect any treatment of them to be fair and alike anyone else here in the household. I understand not everyone gets along, and even those that do can argue- though I expect they are treated the same as anyone else and without discrimination. They are people too."_ _

__Toriel took a moment to inspect Classic before continuing. She wasn't as angry as she was before, her rant having allowed her to blow off some steam. Though she certainly had certain inconveniences because of this whole situation, she wasn't the real victim here. You, and your versions of Sans and Papyrus were. If anything, it was you three who should be angry. Though unfortunately, considering the circumstance, the three of you were powerless. Any and all who had been unwillingly forced into this universe were.  
It was never fair, and thus, it forced responsibility upon shoulders in which never sought for it in the first place. Classic had taken the responsibility of taking in the versions of himself and his brother, he needed to own up to that responsibility with you too. "Understood?"_ _

__Stiff, with his gaze still planted to the floor beside him, he nodded._ _

__"I'm afraid I must ask that you say it aloud Sans. I must be certain you understand what I have said."_ _

__Tensing, he cautiously straightened to turn and stare Toriel in the eye- posture nervous but expression certain. "I swear to Asgore, I understand completely Tori."_ _

__\-----_ _

__

__They hadn't let you go since you had arrived._ _

__The moment you'd collided with Papyrus, you'd succumb to your fate being joint at the hip with the two.  
Not that you minded- you weren't quite ready to let go just yet._ _

You'd found yourself in Sans room, pulled against Papyrus' chest and Sans' napping on top of your legs.  
It was late and the two had decided the three of you were crashing together that night. It was dark, though the moon removed itself from it's hiding place behind the clouds and illuminated the night, enhancing the faint glow that radiated of Papyrus and Sans, a glow otherwise unnoticeable.  
That glow is what allowed you to study Sans' expression as he forced his face against the shin of your leg, fingers twitching as it resting against your knee. 

__It would have been a little cold seeing you weren't covered in any blankets, but the presence of the two you cared most for in the world was enough of a distraction to forget._ _

__You would have thought you'd have fallen asleep easily now that you were in the place you were most comfortable- though it has proven to be quite the opposite. Though this wasn't the type of inability to sleep that left you tossing and turning desperate to slip away into the depths of unconsciousness- it was the inability to sleep where you were too happy, too content to do so, the restlessness that left you grinning goofily all night until you eventually passed out of exhaustion._ _

Your soul- something you had learned that humans were rather out of touch with, thrummed happily. Your limbs were heavy, relaxed.  
You'd been under so much strain and stress trying to cope without the two you relied on to get by that your body practically gave out on you as soon as you'd had the two there to support you. You were sure it would have gotten worse if you'd stayed at Toriel's. 

You weren't particularly fond of the goat woman, but you couldn't help but feel an ounce of gratitude towards her- towards her consideration.  
She'd even taken your belongings and put them in your room, an unnecessary, but shockingly kind effort.  
After everything she'd done, even if the two of you clashed, you decided you'd maintain some form of respect towards the goat-woman. 

__"Sleep peaches." Your eyes shifted downwards to meet the familiar red orb belonging to Sans. You quirked an eyebrow as he grinned at you through the darkness stretching out an arm and yanked you forward and out of Papyrus' arms, right into his chest._ _

__Momentarily surprised, you grinned and wedged a hand in between your face and his ribs attempting to pull yourself away, only to have Sans' hand resting at the back of your head keep you in place. With your cheek moulded against the outline of Sans' ribs you relented, smiling into his chest as his other hand crept around the dip of your back and pulled the rest of you flush against him._ _

__Papyrus shifted slightly in his sleep from the lack of your warmth and you attempted to twist an arm and pull some of the blanket over him. Despite knowing that the cold didn't really affect skeleton monsters, these two seemed to particularly like the warmth._ _

__You didn't have all too much wriggle room from how firmly Sans was keeping you pressed against him, so instead of fighting it you sunk into his embrace, inhaling the slightly sweet scent of magic and his signature jacket.  
You knew it was wishful thinking, but a part of you buried deep within you wished a moment like this could last forever. _ _

__You didn't want morning to come._ _


	21. CHALLENGES

“Human! - Err, Y/n!” Creampuff interrupted your path, standing firm and proud as he grinned down at you. “Would You Like To Assist Us In The Kitchen This Morning?” 

You hesitated, a little put off by the sudden request. You weren't sure how to feel about the others letting you get taken away on classic's whim and you had hardly left Sans or Papyrus side since you returned. You’d just wandered inside after Papyrus and now stood inches from the glass door leading towards the back veranda. It was your first morning back since your stay at Toriel’s and you were a little surprised to find people treating the situation as if you’d never left. Not wanting to jinx yourself, you chose to ignore it.

“Sure,” you shrugged, amused by Creampuff’s pleased expression. It was as you began to make a b-line for the kitchen that you felt a firm tug at your wrist and realised Creampuff had grabbed you by the base of your hand and whisked you off towards the kitchen.

Before you could recover from the sudden half sprint you had been managing as you were dragged behind Creampuff you were steadied by his two strong hands in front of the counter you usually worked alongside Creampuff with.

“Ah, Y/n! I’m glad you have decided to resume your duties in the kitchen with us!” Papyrus ruffled your hair tenderly, having come your way to welcome you as Creampuff made towards the fridge.

“Uh, I think it might just be a onetime thing Paps-” 

“I always enjoy spending time with you!” Oof. You mentally shot Papyrus a glare for using the guilt trip card but merely sighed, knowing he had won. You couldn’t ever actually be upset at him.

“Yeah, me too Paps,” you raised an eyebrow at his victorious grin, your eyes following his retreating figure as he left to return to Blueberry’s side. It was only then you noticed the stares you were getting. Your eyes locked briefly with Blueberry’s as he smiled warmly at you before turning around to slice already minced meat.

You felt Creampuff join your side and begin placing everything needed down on the bench in front of him as you spared a glance over at the remaining three skeletons in the room. Black seemed insistent to not make eye contact with you, facing the bench and violently hammering garlic with the sides of his fists. Though while Black didn’t bother to acknowledge your presence, Razz threw you a curious expression while Edge inspected you with narrowed sockets from the corner of his gaze as he carefully rolled sheets of pasta.

You were a little curious about the happenings of the household whilst you were missing, though decided it was a topic you’d consult Sans and Papyrus on at a later time. With that thought in mind you spun on your heel to lazily rest again the counter and begin slicing carrots that Creampuff had handily laid out for you.

Mainly lost to your thoughts, you weren’t particularly conversational that morning, instead letting your body work on autopilot and unconsciously bobbing your head whenever Creampuff inquired to you about something. You felt strangely numb despite being back with Sans and Papyrus would be like- not that you weren’t ecstatic, it just felt as if you weren’t getting anywhere. Sure, Sans and Papyrus now how clothes that actually fit them (for which they both were very grateful for, and now walked around much more comfortably then previously), but you still hadn’t heard anything from classic about letting the three of you out of the house. You knew that he knew that he couldn’t keep the three of you cooped up in here forever- it was just a matter of time; you simply weren’t willing to wait.  


A waving in front of your face caused you to blink and refocus, gaze moving upwards to meet Creampuff’s concerned expression. “It Is Time To Serve Everything- You Were Awfully Focused Just There, Are You Alright?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m alright. Just thinking,” you shrugged, piling on a modest size portion of spaghetti onto one of the plates. Creampuff’s gaze lingered on you a moment longer before returning to the pot of spaghetti you were shovelling servings out of.

It was only as you were serving your own plate and had a small taste-test of the meal did you realise that Creampuff had used the deer meat for the meatballs, suddenly wondering if the household had found out about you and Papyrus’ little day trip hunting sessions.

“What meat is this?” You feigned innocent curiosity, watching Creampuffs expression as he continued to serve without even a glance your way.

“Hmm? Oh! Some Sort Of ‘Special Meat’, According To Crooks- I’m Not Sure What It Is,” he answered without falter and you resumed believing that only you, Paps and Sans knew about the traps you’d set outback. “It Does Taste Very Good! Though I’m Not Entirely Sure Where It Came From.”

“Don’t think too much into it,” you advised, holding both yours and Papyrus’ plates in your hands to set down on the table before returning to the kitchen to serve everyone else. Most of the household had begun taking their seats as everyone in the kitchen brought plates out- right on time, as always. It seemed several of these skeletons were very proficient with their timing, as it seemed breakfast was always served at seven thirty on the dot.

It was convenient really, it meant you’d never risk missing a meal, with how regulatory certain skeletons were with their schedules. Very similar to your Papyrus.

Sitting down in a seat over by yourself you didn’t concern yourself with who chose to take the seats beside you, though you would prefer if they happen to be Papyrus and Sans. Unsurprisingly, not even a moment later did Sans blip into existence, sliding into the seat beside you, eyeing you with that large crimson orb before shifting his gaze over to the breakfast spaghetti. It was just as Papyrus had finished serving everyone did, he eye the free seat beside you, fully intent on taking that seat when Razz slid into it before he could.

Razz’s attention was directed towards you as he set his plate down and smirked to himself while Papyrus’ pouted and slowly marched around the table to sit across you. You were a little annoyed that Razz had purposefully taken Papyrus’ seat, but chose to say nothing, knowing that Sans’ heated glare shot towards him was enough warning for future reference.

“So, Human, It Seems You Have Managed To Find A Way To Wriggle Your Way Back Into The Household,” he commented, to which you eyed him warily before turning back towards your food. “No Response? I Hadn’t Realised Sending You Over To This World’s Toriel’s House Would Have Broken Your Spirit So Quickly.”

Harshly swallowing a forkful of spaghetti, you shot a glance over at the skeleton in purple attire, “Maybe I just find my food more interesting than anything you have to say.”

Razz raised a bone brow at you in mild amusement, “Ah Well, Simple Minds Are Entertained By Simple Things-”

“Uh yeah, hold that thought,” you shovelled yet another forkful passed your mouth, slurping up a stray noodle that hadn’t made it past your lips in time, “Don’t bother talking to me until I’m finished eating, yeah?” You didn’t miss Razz’s slightly annoyed furrowed bone-brows at being interrupted. You weren’t trying to start anything, which you were sure he knew as much as he stayed quiet, eyeing you from the corner of his sockets as he ate.

You actually didn’t mind Razz, though you had only spoken to him once he seemed like entertaining company. Perhaps not the most trustworthy person, though certainly one you could rely on being thick skinned (heh) enough to not take offense to anything you might say.

Of all the skeletons you didn’t make Razz wait long, though whether he was waiting or not you’d have finished in about the same amount of time anyway. Making sure to scrape away the remaining sauce on the plate and scratching your lips with the edges of your teeth as to ensure you don’t miss anything, you dropped your fork down and twisted in your seat to finally give Razz your attention.

“So, whaddya want?”

Razz shot you a look from the corner of his sockets, before turning to face you, posture still upright and professional despite only being at the table for breakfast. “What, Can’t I Merely Converse To You Without Being Suspected Of Some Ulterior Motive?”

“No.”

Razz scoffed, bringing his cup of coffee up to his teeth to peer over the top of the mug in amusement, “Well Then, I’m Afraid You’ve Assumed Wrong. I Require Nothing Of You- Except Perhaps Entertainment.”

“Oh, I see how it is now- I’m nothing but your entertainment, something to mess around with when you’re bored,” you mused, no real regard towards the accuracy of that statement. Razz chuckled in his mug, throwing back the remainder of the black liquid before settling it on the table beside his now empty plate.

“It Appears You Have Caught Me Human, What Ever Shall I Do When I’m Bored Now?”

“Suffer?”

Razz snorted at your bluntness, “Such An Unforgiving Human, Do You Know No Mercy?”

“Never heard of it.”

Razz’s grin seemed to stretch wider at your comments, almost as if he was pleased. “Well It Seems We Have Some Similar Principals Human.”

“Mhm, I imagine those principals of ours will bite you in your boney arse one of these days Razz,” you smirked, resting your chin in the palm of your hand, slouching over in your seat to lean on the table.

“Bite Me In The Arse? Human, I Am Afraid I Must Ask You To Refrain From Discussing Such Lewd Topics During Our Conversation.”

The start of your rebuttal fell short as your words died in your throat. Did he- did he just make a dirty joke?

“Ppft-” Razz’s pleased smirk widened at the edges at your laughter, his eye-lights watching as you shifted your forehead to rest in the palm of your hand as you shook.

“I Hadn’t Realised Your Humour Was Of Such A Low Standard Human,” he commented half-heartedly, to which you then regained your composure to reply.

“If I have a low standard of humour for laughing, just how low is your standards for making the joke?”

Razz’s sockets opened wider briefly as he realised you had just outwitted him before he scoffed. “Well, Perhaps I Was Exaggerating Human,” He paused to inspect your gaze with his own violet eye-lights before shutting them again to continue speaking, “Though, However Unfortunate, I Do Have Things To Attend To.” Razz slid out of his seat, bringing along his plate and mug in the process before tucking his chair back in. “Oh, And By The Way, I Do Believe You Will Be Encountering Edge Very Soon.”

You unconsciously sat up straighter in your seat at the mention of Edge, you felt Sans tense beside you, though while he never glanced up from his intense gazing at his plate you knew he was paying attention towards your conversation. “How soon-”

“HUMAN!” You jolted, before jumping out of your seat to consult Edge, not at enough ease to remain seated. Speak of the devil- you were half certain that this was a conspiracy between Razz and Edge, the timing of this encounter far too convenient to be coincidental. 

You levelled a glare with the towering skeleton, the hair on the back of your neck prickling as Sans took a threatening stance behind you, not doubt warning off the aggressive natured monster.

“It Has Come To My Attention That The Current State Of The Obstacle Course Was Because Of You, Human.”

Your defensive stance momentarily faltered at the mention of the obstacle course, eyebrows furrowing as you were unsure of the relevance of the obstacle course in the current conversation, curious to see as to what Edge was getting at. “What about it?”

“I Have Come To Test Just How Truly Worthy Of An Opponent You Are. Human- I Challenge You To Complete The Course That You Have Designed!”

Edge wanted you to complete the obstacle course that you had worked on with Blueberry a while back? Your stance dropped, though you still remained tense as you concluded that there would be no confrontation as of the moment. “Sure...?”

Edge seemed pleased that you had accepted his ‘challenge’, placing his hands on the sides of his hips in victory. “Y/n,” Papyrus, who was suddenly beside you watched Edge warily, “I Will Come With You. Just To…Supervise.”

Nodding, you were aware of Papyrus’ intentions. You couldn’t blame him from being wary of the version of himself clad in red after the result of your previous encounter. You knew Papyrus wouldn’t get involve or try anything like Sans might, he’d merely ensure that nothing happened between the two of you while you were outside. As such, you spared Sans a look that told him everything would be alright, and he shuffled out the room, clenching his axe as he assumingly went back to isolate himself in his room.

“I Do Not Have All Day Human, Hurry The Hell Up!” Your head shot towards Edge, who was impatiently tapping his boot in front of the door. Huffing, you picked up your pace to follow along behind Edge’s lead, Papyrus moving in rhythm alongside you.

You were led towards the obstacle course halting at the very beginning where Edge turned on his heeled boot to scowl down at you. “Human. I Completed This…Mediocre Course In Three Minutes, If You Wish To Prove Yourself To Be Anything But Another Mundane Human I Suggest You Take This Time In Account. However, It Is Extremely Difficult Trying To Keep Up With The Standard Of Someone Such As I, And As Such, Take Solace In Knowing You Will Receive No Pity From Me When You Fail To Live Up To This Expectation.”

You idly noted that this guy talked a lot before realising that he wanted you to complete a twenty-five-stage obstacle course in roughly three minutes. You’d admit that you were in considerably better physical state in terms of endurance, speed and strength than the average person, purely because of the intense conditions required for survival underground, though you’d have a rough estimate and say you’d only barely mange to complete this course in eight minutes, minimum.

With a half-hearted sigh, you threw a glance Papyrus’ way, in which he merely sent you a reassuring grin. Rolling your shoulders and cracking your neck you gave the obstacle course a quick once over, more familiar with it then everyone else here having aided in building a good portion of it. “Welp. Better get counting then, Edge,” you muttered before you shot off sprinting.

You were immediately hopping in-between tires and dodging and weaving spikes help upright into the ground. You could feel both Papyrus’ and Edge’s gaze on your back, Papyrus’ more encouraging, curious whilst Edge’s gaze burnt, as if he disapproved of every step and was judging each subtle movement. You weren’t entirely sure what was up with the edgy skeleton, but obviously he was fed something sour as a baby.

Sliding down dirt and climbing up ropes rubbed at the tender flesh of your hands, leaving small scrapes and red marks, though nothing worth acknowledging. As you raced through the course, jumping higher than you could remember being able and with new found strength foreign to you, you begun to realise just how much your physical abilities had improved not only since having fallen underground, but since having gotten to the surface. You’d underestimated how quickly you’d get through the course; you’d realised as you’d made it to the sky nets only a rough couple of minutes in. You’d underestimated just how capable you were, because for years you’d been in a physically weaker state- the effects of starvation impacting you greatly. Though now you were on the surface, a place where you didn’t have to worry about food, where you were constantly well fed and in full health. The advancements in strength and stamina that you’d developed underground revealing themselves full force in the current moments of completing the obstacle course.

In the end you’d only managed to complete the course in roughly five and a half minutes, to which Papyrus had applauded you greatly, though seemed to have not impressed Edge in the slightest. Breathing heavily, you took a moment resting against Papyrus’ arm to regain your breath, watching Edge as he seemed to consider you efforts.

“I Am A Fair Monster, Human. As Such, I’ll Admit Your Efforts Weren’t As Pathetic As I Had Expected.” If it weren’t for the fact you were occupied sucking in air, you’d probably have sent a mean comment back his way. “Definitely Not The Most Impressive Time, However, I’ll Grant You The Consideration Of Not Comparing You To The Lowliness Of The Rest Of Your Kind.”

You weren’t entirely sure whether to take that as a compliment or not, though opted to say nothing. Deciding that you were done here, you slipped your hand in Papyrus’ to tug him away and back to the house. You felt Edge watch as you leave, thankful that he didn’t try and stop you. You just wanted to spend the rest of the day with Sans and Papyrus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edge finally gets to test the human's physical ability. He's not unimpressed.
> 
> Edge is curious about you. He wants to know more about yourself and your version of the underground but pride gets in the way. Not only that but despite his rude demeanour, he does understand the frustration when people pry into matters that don't concern them. He understands. 


	22. PLEASANTRIES

It was an hour after lunch, you’d just returned back to the house after having cleared out the traps set out back with Papyrus. Having changed into fresher, cleaner clothes you were left soaking the blood-stained previous ones in your bathroom sink. The sticky brown stained the white porcelain edges of the sink, the stench of blood clinging to your hands and seeping into the cracks between the bathroom tiles. Nothing considerable in size had fallen prey to any of the traps hidden deep within the forest, mainly just rodents and other smaller creatures of similar stature. Papyrus, as optimistic as he always tried to be merely stretched a grin across his face and stated he’d be making Rabbit stew for dinner tonight. You were eager, Rabbit was delicious (everything was delicious if you didn’t think about it), you just had a hard time not being disappointed from only returning with smaller catches, a feeling that stemmed from having experienced the same thing countless times underground.

You just needed to remember that you didn’t need to hunt in large amounts anymore. 

The orange material was having a hard time separating itself with the sticky substance having spilt on your clothes during the messy process of gutting and skinning and animal. Warm water crept up your arms as you scrubbed away at the stains on the shirt with a vanilla and honey scented soap bar with increasing vigour. Furrowing your eyebrows, you brought the shirt closer to your face as you picked away at the last of the blood on one of the sleeves. 

Jolting, your attention was redirected towards the knocks echoing into the bathroom from your bedroom door. Waiting a few moments longer without anyone having entered, you concluded that it was neither Papyrus nor Sans (as unlikely as it would be for Sans to knock). Dropping the orange t-shirt into the warm soapy liquid, you briefly dried off your arms on the damp towel hanging from a rack, staining the white fluffy material. Making sure to softly shut the bathroom door behind you with your gaze still directed at your door you shuffled over. 

Curiously you pulled open your door, hand still resting on the doorknob so as to not give whoever was standing outside the wrong idea and think they were invited inside. Half expecting Blueberry or Creampuff you were surprised to find burnt orange material instead. 

Your eyes wandered upwards, eventually locking with Stretch’s line of vision. He stood at relative ease, hands tucked away in his pockets and shoulder slumped. He didn’t appear to have any negative intent though you knew for certain that his opinion of not only yourself but Sans and Papyrus too, wasn’t very high. Unconsciously your grip tightened around the cold metal knob as you merely raised an eyebrow in question at the relatively lazy version of Papyrus. 

“What’s up?”

“Dunno,” you shrugged, fully aware that he was addressing casualties first rather than getting straight the point of why he was here, “why don’t you take a look for yourself. You’re closer.”

Stretch momentarily paused before lightly chuckling, “You’re right, I probably should have asked ‘what’s down?’”

You’d perhaps have granted him a grin for that one if it weren’t for the fact that you were currently wary of his intentions. You doubted he was going to cause trouble, though It was obvious he wanted something- or wished to discuss something you didn’t want to go into detail about. 

Stretch’s joke fell flat at your lack of response and his grin, however subtly, tightened at the edges. Bringing up one of his arms he scratched lightly at the back of his skull, sheepish under your suspicious squinting. “So uh, I figure you already know this, but Classic got it good from Toriel after she came and dropped you off here the other day.”

You paused, entirely unaware of the news Stretch was informing you of.  
Toriel had told Classic off? Nobody had told you anything about that. 

“Locked himself away since- he should be right in a couple days, just needs to get a grip on his pride ya’know?” Stretch continued talking without any verbal input from you, gaze shifted to lazily inspect the contents of your room- which was mostly empty, excluding the occasional stray jacket or shirt sprawled across the carpet and the sheets spilling off of your bed and onto the floor. “Anyhow, apparently Toriel scolded him real good ‘cause you aren’t grounded anymore.”

Freezing, your eyes searched Stretch’s expression for confirmation, and upon only finding truthfulness you allowed yourself to feel eager. A million ideas had already begun to sprung in your mind, places you’d take Papyrus and Sans, activities you’d try together- some for the first time for all three of you. 

“Though there is a condition.” 

You felt your blood run cold- of course there was a condition. Of course, it was too good to be true. Getting what you want, just having things go right for once, it was a luxury not designed for people like you. You sighed and braced yourself. 

“One of us has to go along with you.”

Well, it wasn’t the worse condition in the world, though you couldn’t help but feel disappointed with what was essentially an invasion of privacy. What was so wrong with just wanting to be left alone? Why couldn’t the three of you just be left to your own affairs? The only time trouble started is when people tried meddling with the three of you, surely, they were smart enough to figure that out. “So, what, need someone there to babysit us?”

Stretch shrugged, “Look, it ain’t all that bad alright. You can still go wherever and do whatever, we just have to have someone there to make sure you don’t run into certain people.”

“Who?”

“Listen, just,” Stretch sighed, gaze flickering from your door to back to you, “Crooks and Axe,” your frown deepened at the way the two were addressed, “They just...They both look _too_ similar to Classic and his bro.”

Clenching your teeth, you decided to swallow your anger, though fully prepared to vomit out harsh words and threats if the skeleton in front of you so much as mispronounced a word. “And you aren’t?”

“I get that every version of ourselves look similar- but not quite like your version of us.” Stretch started to explain. His tone wasn’t harsh or with ill-intent, but it certainly wasn’t very sympathetic. “With the rest of us we’re different heights, skulls slightly rounder or longer then one another, bones sharper or smoother- we dress differently too. Crooks and Axe, just, they look exactly like the original pair- dress the same too, just as if they’d been thrown into a blender.”

You were consumed with the overwhelming temptation to violently strangle the skeleton clad in orange despite knowing the lack of affect it would have on him. A deep-rooted anger thrashed against your insides, boiled your blood until your skin burnt. It took every ounce of self-control to not throw yourself forwards and tear him apart knowing fully well it was too soon to be pulling risky moves like that so soon after getting accepted back into the household. You had too much to lose.  
Through clenched teeth, “They’re taller too,” you spat, “They can dress differently too.” You racked your brain for a solid argument, any and every passable excuse. 

“Kid, it isn’t that easy,” Stretch gaze burnt into yours, it wasn’t aggressive, but it was final. “It the best we got to offer right now, a ‘right? It’ll probably just be temporary anyway, until you know exactly who to avoid and where to keep away from, yeah?”

“…” It didn’t seem right, it felt unfair. “Can we go now?”

“Sure, meet you three out front?”

You nodded, eyes following Stretch as he slinked off down the hallway and out of sight. 

\----

Papyrus was practically vibrating as he wandered down the street, giddily twisting and turning to get a full perspective of the city around him.  
Currently you were walking along a calmer street within the shopping district. You had no doubt that it was entirely intentional. 

Sans was walking in between both you and Papyrus, gaze occasionally shifting to the odd person walking by (generally human, and once having lingered looking at a screaming human baby being nursed in its mother’s arms) before shifting back to the pavements belong him. Papyrus had more of a naïve excitement to him then Sans did, as it was obvious the older of the two brothers was visibly more nervous then the other. You couldn’t blame him; you’d felt the same way. You’d grown more used to the feeling of lingering eyes and the sound of large amounts of life the past week you were away, though certainly not to the point where you were comfortable. You’d had a feeling that properly readjusting to society would be a slow process- that’s if you would properly readjust at all. 

You weren’t entirely sure where you were heading, if anywhere at all. Stretch, who was currently leading the group had asked where the three of you wanted to go, the only reply having been a few questioning looks exchanged between the three of you and shrugs.

The further you walked, however, the more you began to notice the lack of monster presence. In fact, from the pure amount of glances people- human people, were throwing your group’s way, you’d guess that this was some kind of human dominant district. Nobody you’d passed by seemed particularly unfriendly or aggressive, so you figured that there wasn’t any particular reason for the lack of monsters other then the fact humans massively outnumbered monsters.

When Stretch had told you that the reason the three of you would be getting supervision was because there was certain people you needed to avoid, you’d figured he’d meant humans. Now you were thinking the opposite. Just how many monsters didn’t know about the alternate universe mix ups?

None of you had any money, so that ruled off getting anything to eat. Your options were limited, really. At least they were in a shopping district. Perhaps not the smartest move on Stretch’s behalf, unless he planned on paying for the three of you.

Stretch ended up taking you to some park- one without any play equipment. It was a large fenced off bushy area, an ideal place to go on a walk or have a picnic. You guess it made sense for Stretch to take you here, somewhere out in public but not actually that public. Surrounded by people and buildings, though isolated within itself. You didn’t really mind, as Papyrus still seemed ecstatic just to be out of the house and Sans significantly relieved to be away from passing strangers. 

Stretch took you down a gravel path, passing few others along the way, those you did pass usually walking their dogs or pushing strollers. It wasn’t until Stretch suddenly took a sharp turn off the path did you hesitate. Where exactly where was he taking you three?

“Where Exactly Are We Going, Stretch?” Papyrus questioned. He wasn’t put off in the slightest from being led to some unfamiliar, isolated area by someone he hardly knew, currently to giddy with glee to focus on the reality of the situation. 

So far Stretch hadn’t been acting particularly shady or suspicious, but you couldn’t help but feel a little paranoid at the circumstance. You knew Sans felt similarly from the way he tensed beside you, brushing shoulders with both yourself and Papyrus, using the close proximity of the both of you as reassurance that there was no need to be aggressive. Yet. 

“Relax. Just a nice area under the sun I thought you’d like,” Stretch drawled, lazily marching forward without so much as a glance back at the three of you to check if you were still following, “Went on a picnic here once with Blue and a few friends.”

Papyrus, unquestioningly began to follow Stretch, only to be halted in his tracks by Sans, who had wrapped a firm grip around his brother’s wrist and kept him back. Papyrus, caught off guard by his brothers actions was suddenly broken out of his glee induced naivety as he glanced down over at his brother with concern. Sans seemed to consider Stretch’s explanation, studying his gradually shrinking figure in the distance before hesitantly dropping Papyrus’ wrist. 

You watched the interaction silently, taking Papyrus’ released hand as permission to keep walking. You and Papyrus walked at a slightly faster pace to catch up with Stretch, forcing Sans to keep up with the two of you, though the three of you still lingered a couple feet further behind then previously in consideration of Sans’ paranoia. 

It was then that Stretch surpassed a final tree and stepped into a small clearing, bush circling the area. Papyrus, with less vigour than previous stepped out along with Stretch, basking in the warm rays of light stemming from the sun, being sure to glance back over to his brother in encouragement.  
You fell into pace with Sans, escaping the shadows of the towering trees at the same time, sun hitting your faces and immediately waking you up further. You felt your skin instantly begin to warm up, the heat of the sun a relief from the crisp Autumn weather. 

The three of you found a comfortable spot right in the centre of the clearing where you sat, enjoying the temporary escape of the eternal cold having settled under your skin. That’s where the three of you lingered for the rest of the afternoon, Stretch lingering over by the outskirts of the clearing, sucking at a honey flavoured sucker or taking a cigarette while scrolling through his phone. 

The sun was nice. Being here with Sans and Papyrus was nice. Though you knew the amount of people around during the day was going to be a problem, and so was having someone constantly hovering over the three of you. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MC, Sans' and Papyrus' first trip out of the house since getting to the surface all together!
> 
> Personally, I think Stretch made a wise choice on the location he took the three too. Though what exactly is MC scheming?
> 
> The horror trio are behaving themselves, but it's only a matter of time before one of them get frustrated.


	23. FOREST BERRIES

"What, wanna cig?" 

"Nah," you eyed the cigarette hanging loosely from Stretch's teeth before shifting your gaze back to the front door. 

"What's with the starin' then?" Throwing Stretch another wary glance, you shrugged, gravel crunching under your feet as you walked back down the driveway. You'd gone back out into the city with Papyrus and Sans and had just gotten back now. You hadn't gone anywhere in particular, just simply wandered the quieter streets of the city, adjusting to your surroundings.  
Papyrus, who naturally walked very quickly had already made it inside, and Sans had merely taken a shortcut as soon as home was within sight, leaving you to shuffle awkwardly next to Stretch by yourself. 

Stretch hummed as he plucked the cigarette from between his teeth and twirled it between his fingers. You kept your eyes forward as his gaze momentarily flickered towards you, before he dropped the cigarette and crushed it under the heel of his shoe into the dirt. 

Skipping a stair or two you swung the front door open (that was, concerningly, always unlocked), not sparing Stretch so much as a glance as you picked up pace to escape his gaze, "Hold on kid," Stretch voice called out from behind. You jolted, hesitantly turning on your heel only to find he was significantly closer than you'd anticipated.  
Tensing, you took a cautionary step back, relaxing upon having distanced yourself and burying your hands into your pockets to stare up at the lanky skeleton standing a mere metre in front of you. "Yeah?"

"How're ya settling in?"

Pausing, you stared at Stretch with wide eyes. He wanted to know how you were doing? You only took a moment longer to come to your senses, squinting suspiciously at the skeleton. "Just as well as you could expect... Why?"

Stretch shrugged, "Ain't all of us as bad as you might think," he chuckled at your sceptical attitude, "Just had a rough start, yeah?" 

What exactly was he getting at? You weren't sure if he was trying to butter you up or was just being genuinely nice and it put you on edge. "Sure." You began to turn in attempts to escape to the kitchen, only to once again get cut off.

"Your real eager to run away huh?"

You shrugged, slowly turning back to face Stretch. "Not a big conversationalist," you explained cautiously. You didn't want to believe the guy who'd called you a freak was trying to be friendly with you. He'd have to be feeling incredibly guilty to have such a change in attitude. 

"Mm, that's not entirely true is it though?" Stretch chuckled, shifting weight from one leg to another and shoving his hands in his pockets much alike yourself. Pausing, you noted the subtle smirk spread across his teeth as he studied you, becoming slightly annoyed at whatever he was assuming. "Seen you talking to some of the other guys here- includin' my bro."

"So?"

Stretch's gaze met with yours, though you didn't shrink under it. It was a firm, confident look, though there wasn't any hostility or anger in the way he looked at you. Instead it just looked like he wanted to say something to you that he really needed to get across, something he needed you to be certain about. "Listen kid, I don't want any _bad blood_ between us, cause I know I've jumped to some conclusions in the past- but I just hope you know you'll be in for a _bad time_ if you ever try something like what you did too Classic or Edge to Blue."

Anger threatened to spill from your lips before you paused, anger slowly waning. You wanted to react aggressively to the threat, but didn't because you understood. Blueberry was Stretch's brother- his family, and you were some strange human (a species you knew monsters weren't particularly fond of) with a record of being violent and less than friendly. You couldn't really blame him for making sure his brother would be safe, you'd do the same for Papyrus and Sans any day. You knew what it was like to want to protect them- you'd do anything and everything necessary.

"Yeah," you nodded, "I understand." You didn't bother to try forcing sincerity into your words, they were equally as apathetic as they were serious, enough so that there wasn't a hint of anything else except understanding. You weren't going to play games and pretend to be threatened and make a big deal over his warning, nor were you going to make empty promises over never hurting his brother. Blueberry certainly wasn't someone you were planning at having at the ends of your fists anytime soon, though who knew where life would take you. You refused to make a promise you didn't know for certain you could keep. 

Stretch squinted at you, gaze thoroughly inspecting your features, boring into your very soul. It took a few tense seconds before his eyes dropped from you and he visibly relaxed, an easy grin returning full force on his skull. "Righto, glad we could come to this agreement," Stretch settled a hand on your shoulder for a brief second as a gesture of some form of a pat on the back before he spun on his heels and shuffled away. 

Your eyes followed him until he left your sight before you returned to your journey back to the kitchen. Ducking your head past the doorway, you were pleased to find the room empty, a small grin plastered on your lips. Your mind was left wandering about Stretch, but you forced your thoughts to take a different direction with a firm shake of your head.  
Shuffling over towards the cupboards, you threw them open eyes searching for something suitable to eat. When you'd first made it to the surface you, Sans and Papyrus commonly raided the pantry in the kitchen and generally received a few dirty or disapproving looks for it, though nowadays anytime someone saw you marching out of the kitchens with arms full of chips, cereal and left overs they wouldn't bat an eye your way.  
You were kind of thankful for that little amount of consideration, you'd have lost if they'd put restrictions on the amount you could eat. Though it seems Classic, however big an arsehole he may be, wasn't completely unreasonable.

Ripping open a packet of chicken flavoured chips with your teeth, you struggled to shove a hand in the packet, pulling one out and throwing it between your teeth. You munched on the overwhelming amount of food tucked under your arms and resting under your chin as you carefully manoeuvred your way around the house and back up to Sans' room. 

"Are You Ready?"

"Of Course."

"Then Lets Go!"

You were halted in your tracks upon hearing several rather boisterous voices bickering to each other. Glancing down the hallway, you noticed three familiar skeletons walking side by side heading your particular direction.  
Blueberry bounced in between two of the other smaller skeletons, Black and Razz, eagerly discussing something. You decided whatever the three were doing didn't concern you and were about to continue on your way when Blue locked eyes with you. 

"Human!" He grinned, picking up his pace and halting in front of your feet, "I- Oh, I See You Are Busy," his gaze shifted downwards, eyeing your food. 

You shrugged, "Yeah? So?"

"Oh, It Was Just That I Was Going To Invite You To Go Sparring With Us!" Black and Razz joined Blue's side, having not bothered to chase him when he ran off towards you. 

"What?! We're Not Bringing That!" You paused chewing, swallowing harshly to instead direct your gaze over to Black, who was scowling sourly over at you. You raised an eyebrow up at him to which his frown further deepened, crossing his arms disapprovingly. 

"Why, Are You Afraid You'll Get Beaten By A Human?" Razz mocked, shooting Black a smirk, to which Black went wide eyed- baffled. 

"As If! I Merely Refuse To Battle Something So Unworthy Of My Attention- Let Alone A Lowly Human!" Black hissed at Razz, glowering as Blue shifted uncomfortably between the two. Blue shot you a wary glance before looking back over to Black to try to settle the fuming skeleton, leaving you and Razz to awkwardly stare at each other.

The two of you locked eyes before you moved yours again, throwing a glance over your shoulder and wondering if you were allowed to leave. Razz raised a bone brow at you after a few seconds of silence between the two of you, and you decided to break the silence.

"So you guys are sparring huh?"

"Why Yes, You Should Come Human! Might Be Just The Right Time To Prove You're Not All Bark And No Bite," there was challenge in Razz's words, enough so that you were tempted to accept, but glancing over towards Blue and Black, you remembered how much you didn't feel like dealing with that. You just wanted to nap all afternoon with Sans and eat to your hearts desire. 

"Eh, maybe next time," you shrugged, glancing over to Blue. "There even enough room to go sparring out back with the obstacle course there?" 

"We're Actually Going Through The Forest To This Quaint Little Clearing To Spar."

Wait- through the forest? You eyed Razz warily, observing the purple little triangular eye-lights in his sockets. You couldn't help but think of all the traps you'd set throughout the forest, and the kind of trouble you could get in if not only one of them got caught in one, but if the household found out about Paps and your little hunting expeditions.  
"Huh. How far in?"

"Not Too Far In," Razz explained, seemingly not having caught on to your sudden wary demeanour, "Haven't Been That Way In A While, Though It Shan't Pose Any Challenge To Us."

Piercing your lips, you hesitantly realised you'd have to go after them and make sure they didn't run into any of the traps hidden around the area. The only problem was that you couldn't just suddenly ask to go without raising some sort of suspicion between at least one of the three- particularly the one you were talking with now.

"Alright!" You were broken out of your thoughts as Blue turned around to face you once again, hands pressed confidently at his sides, Black seemingly sated from beside him. "We Must Head Off Now Human! It Was Good Seeing You."

Your eyes followed the three as they marched away, Blue sending you a brief wave goodbye before skipping down the stairs and assumingly outside. Sighing, you shuffled over to Sans' room, knocking briefly before slipping inside. 

The room was dark and stuffy- exactly as you expected it to be. Sans had sat up on his bed having heard you knock, wide grin tugging at the edges as you approached and fingers twitching without the weight of his axe in them. Sauntering over you dumped the food on his bed, to which his eyes followed. 

"Can't stay this time."

Sans' one lit eye-light flickered back to you, this time frowning. "Why not?"

"Got stuff to do," you explained, avoiding his gaze and instead studying and cataloguing the food you'd brought for the two of you to eat. "I'll be back after."

"How long will ya take?" he questioned, shifting in his spot to instead rest against the wall, mattress creaking as he moved.  
You shrugged as Sans lazily picked up a box of Cheerios, ripping open the box with a single sharpened phalange. Sans grinned thinned as he inspected you before nodding.  
"'A'ight. Don't take too long- might not be anything left for ya when you get back."

A grin spread across your features at Sans' silly threat, "Eat all my food and I'll eat you," you warned jokingly, encouraging Sans' grin to tug at the edges. 

"Ain't nothin' but bones peaches- I'd make a better toothpick." You chuckled under your breath, scooting out of the room throwing Sans an amused glance. 

"Don't think your bone would fit in my mouth Sans," you replied dryly before slipping out the door, only just barely catching the roar of laughter at your crude remark that escaped Sans' teeth.

You grinned to yourself as you wandered down the hallway and down the way you'd seen Blueberry leave. You weren't planning to crash the party, just merely observe from afar, help them avoid running into anything. 

You didn't run into anyone else as you left the house, which you were thankful for. You weren't entirely sure what direction they were heading in, and tracking them down would take a bit and there was a likely chance they'd already have gotten themselves trapped in a net or been speared through the ribs by the time you found them.  
Luckily, they weren't very far away, their voices still echoing in the distance. Eyes following the direction the noise was originating from you set off, keeping a swift, steady pace in order to catch up. 

You were silent as you moved, each footfall calculated and movement thought out as you ducked through the trees, avoiding branches and stepping over anything that would make too much noise. You were quickly gaining on them until it got to the point where they were in eyeshot, arguing with each other about who had the strongest special attack.  
You hid behind the trees, and ducked behind bushes whenever one would glance your way or took a sudden turn. Watching with slight anxiety as they narrowly avoided a trapping pit you heaved in relief as they passed it without any trouble.  
You and Papyrus didn't set out many lethal traps, but there were several out there that would mean death- designed for larger animals that might struggle and ruin other traps such as nets. 

Halting, you noticed that the group was heading straight towards the large net that you and Paps once caught a deer fawn.  
While the trap certainly wasn't dangerous, you were pretty certain that the three were going to question why there were traps set up in the forest.

Racking your mind, you picked up your speed to overtake the group, reaching that area first. You watched them approaching In the distance, deciding to risk it you shot across their path to duck in the bushes on their left. Fortunately, none of them saw you, though you watched as Razz's skull shot up and squinted suspiciously the way they were walking.

Pressing your back up against a tree you cupped your hands up together by your lips, blowing in the gap between your thumbs like a whistle, which mimicked the noise of a particularly loud bird. The chattering from the group instantly cut off, as you had no doubt all three skeletons were now tilting their skulls in your direction. Crouching low, you ducked behind some bushes and shot off a fair distance, hearing the tell tale sign of them approaching of cracking twigs and leaves. 

"What Was That?" Blueberry questioned his peers, furrowing his bone brows as his gaze inspected the area. Blue's gaze was curious, interested, whilst both Black's and Razz's was suspicious, cautious. 

"A Bird, Probably," Black remarked dryly, rolling his eyes. "Hurry Up- Lets Just Go," he complained, to which seemed to hurry Blue and Razz up. Blue spun around and began to followed after Black, who was, thankfully, now walking in the same direction but instead on a different path from the last and thus, would walk straight past the net trap. 

You kept at a relatively safe distance from the group as they walked, hoping that they wouldn't run into anything else, using that whistling technique would only work so many times, even more than once would be pushing it.  
Blueberry seemed relatively relaxed, conversing idly with Black, who seemed mildly annoyed (but then again, when wasn't he annoyed), Razz on the other hand, had withdrawn from the conversation completely. Instead the purple clad skeleton inspected the area, squinting at every oddly shaped shadow and double checking areas for any movement. It was apparent that Razz was significantly more observant than you had given him credit for, and may be a bit of a problem for future reference. 

After the trio had surpassed the area where your traps were set out you payed less attention to them, instead watching your feet moved against the ground, occasionally glancing back up to check up on the skeletons.  
Glancing upwards, you were shocked at what you found. While it seemed Blue and Black weren't paying any mind, Razz had disappeared somewhere.

"Shit," the words escaped your lips in a quiet hiss. Your eyes quickly scanned the area, before you opted to go upwards. Taking a firm grip of a particularly low branch, you hoisted yourself up with urgency. Upon finding the proper footing you quickly twisted and turned, conquering the branches of the large tree. It was right as you'd just managed to bury yourself in the thickness of the leaves of the tree did you notice Razz standing where you were just a moment ago. You peered downwards, holding your breath as the skeleton scanned the area beneath you until Blue began to call for him.

You breathed out in relief as Razz turned to face the direction Blue and Black was, taking once last glance back at the area before re-joining the group. Sighing, you slumped against a particularly thick branch, just resting there for a little while.  
After convincing yourself to get up- you had to make sure they made it home after all- you decided to continue following them through the conveniently tightly compacted trees, watching your step as you soundlessly stalked them from up above.

It wasn't very long afterwards did the forest break into a decently sized clearing, far bigger than Classic's backyard. You eyed the area with mild interest, watching as Blue ran out into the centre to eagerly prepare to spar. You only watched for a few moments as they begun to summon their first few rounds, lingering in the outskirts of the clearing. 

Slumping against the branch you were on, you tugged your hood further over your face, deciding to rest against the thick collection of branches knotted together. You weren't entirely sure how long they were going to take and ending up resting on your stomach, lazily eyeing the group as you dozed off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Talk about a whole lot of effort to go through just for one secret.  
> Unfortunately secrets like those never stay hidden for long. 
> 
> Now that MC is staying in the household for good she's finally interacting with her peers more. Though when you throw that many people together- some homicidal, chaos always seems to lurk around every corner. 
> 
> These things happen when you least expect them too.  
>  I'm having a ridiculous amount of fun with this invisible text. Berries are great and all, but considered how small they are, they're bound to get _crushed_ sooner or later. 


	24. NIGHTMARES

There was a certain excitement buzzing in the air between certain skeletons- about what, you weren't entirely sure. You rested your head against the table as you lazily eyed Creampuff who was trying to rope Papyrus into whatever he and Blueberry were raving about. You weren't too alarmed seeing as both Creampuff and Blueberry were relatively safe, and hadn't displayed any kind of violent traits- you weren't too concerned about whatever they wanted to do with Paps.

It must have been a particularly busy day, as when everyone started flooding out of the room you noted that everyone's dishes had been left for you to clean up. You sat up and warily inspected the area, mildly annoyed that everyone had left everything.

_"Ahem."_

You paused, before spinning in your chair to lock gazes with familiar red pinpricks- Black's. You weren't sure whether to be less annoyed knowing you weren't left completely alone, or more annoyed that it was Black keeping you company. The entire time you guys interacted consisted of him complaining about inviting a human to go sparring with them and you already knew that being around this guy might be a bit of a bother.  
You raised an eyebrow at the stern skeleton. 

"Well, Don't Just Sit There!" He snapped, causing you to jolt. "Get Up And Start Packing Up Won't You?" The skeleton scoffed, eyeing you as he marched over to the other side of the table, collecting plates, wiping crumbs off the table and onto the dirty dishes. "Honestly, If You're Going To Stay Here, You May As Well Pull Your Weight."

Squinting harshly at the skeleton across the table, you slipped out of your chair to begin cleaning up what you assume was your side of the table. You shot Black a few glances from the corner of your eyes as you worked in silence, though he paid no mind to them. He frowned as he brought his skull closer to the table for inspection, picking away at a stain with a clawed finger as you finished picking up the last of the plates. "Where'd everyone else go?"

Black scoffed, unimpressed. Straightening, he shifted the weight of all the dishes and spun on his heeled boot to begin strutting into the kitchen. "Some Mettaton Monster Showing Up In Town Today- Nothing Compared To Napstaton."

You'd heard of Mettaton, back underground Papyrus had a few of his old movies stashed away into the depths of the attic- though Napstaton was completely foreign to you. You figured that he was probably their worlds version of Mettaton and simply nodded in acknowledgment. Entering the kitchen you immediately headed over for the sink, filling it up with hot soapy water. Black didn't hesitate to dump his dishes in the sink like yours, causing the water to splash and creep up your arms as he turned to take a stand next to you, a tea towel in his hands.  
"Why'd Blueberry and Razz go then?"

Black scowled, "Like I Would Know! I'm Not Responsible For Them!"

It appeared you were right in assuming that this Black guy would be as big of a pain in the arse as he looked. The scowling skeleton was harsh in appearance, with sharp edges and scars running across his left socket- much alike his taller counterpart- Edge. The two were certainly similar personally wise- at surface level anyhow, you noted as you submerged your hands under the warm water and began to thoroughly scrub at a plate. 

You worked soundlessly, though you felt Black's judging gaze flickering from your face to back to the dishes he was impeccably working at with a tea towel. There was a certain grace about Black and Edge you had noted, they worked methodically, without stutter or flaw. Held themselves in a way that radiated confidence, that spoke perfection.  
While you were unconvinced that perfection was an achievable goal, you did know there were those that could pretend. You couldn't help but feel as if the two were the type to pride themselves in their high standards.  
There was certain emotion in their eyes- something like superiority, as if they looked down their noses at everyone. It annoyed you, to say the least.

"I Had Heard That You Completed The Obstacle Course, Human."

You shot Black a glance from the corner of your eye, handing him a clean dish to which he immediately accepted. "Would be a little sad if I didn't."

"Hah! I Agree Whole Heartedly Human- Then Again, Not Much Can Be Expected From Your Species," Black rolled his eyes- seemingly to himself. You weren't entirely sure what was with certain skeleton's superiority complex against humans were, but you didn't really care. 

"I think you underestimate some of us," you commented, not bothering to look over at your company to gauge his reaction. He was silent beside you for a second, no doubt registering your words and seeking his own. 

"Hardly. One Exception Does Not Change The State Of All Humans."

You shrugged, dunking your final plate under the water and finishing up. "So I'm an exception, huh?" You grinned, pulling the plug from the sink to turn and give Black your full attention. He squinted at you, snatching the last plate from your hands with a scowl.

"Don't Let It Get To Your Head, Human. Just Because You've Shown To Have Better Ability Than Other Humans Does Not Mean You Meet The Standard Of Monsters."

You chuckled under your breath, turning to pick up the dried dishes and bringing them up over to the cupboards to start putting everything away. "Maybe you just haven't seen everything I can do," you challenged, throwing Black a teasing smirk. 

"I Imagine Everything That You Can Do Would Undoubtedly Be Very Sad."

You choked on a chuckled, throwing Black a look, noting that he didn't seem overly impressed by you, watching you through calculated lids and crossed arms. "Would have thought you better than to underestimate other people Black," you mused, swinging shut the cupboard door and drying your hands off with a tea towel. 

"Please," his eyes dropped to give you a snobbish once over, as if what he saw was less than satisfactory, "I Believe I Know When My Judgements Are Correct."

You shrugged, "Suit yourself buddy," you sighed, not taking acknowledgement of him as he scowled at you, instead opting to turn and leave the kitchen. You could feel his sockets following you as you left though you didn't bother to send him a glance back. 

\----

As of late, you'd found yourself staying up into the late hours of the night, stuck in your thoughts. There wasn't any particular reason, no sole line of thought, just many concerns and ideas that'd stick with you and lingered at the back of your mind.  
You'd been thinking about the future, about what came next. About whether you'd be stuck in this universe forever or whether you'd be sent back to your own.  
You'd been thinking about the barrier, how exactly it broke- there were no human souls to break it with- perhaps it had something to do with the universes crossing over?

A million thoughts ate at your mind and you didn't know which ones to ponder first. Questions, concerns, worries, fears- you shoved it all back into the depths of your mind, instead saving them for when night fell and you were left with nothing but your own voice that rung in your head- a million bad ideas trying your patience. 

You clenched and wrung your hand up in the air above you, the rest of your body tucked away under the covers as you strained your eyes to pick up the outlines of your wriggling fingers. The cold prickled at the exposed flesh of your palm but you didn't withdraw it, instead staring up at the blankness of the roof, as if reaching for it, grasping for the darkness of the void. 

You thought of your time spent in this universe- on the surface. You'd been up here for as little as three weeks but they'd gone by incredibly quickly. You didn't know what to expect next. 

You tossed and turned in your bedsheets, savouring the pleasant warmth that they provided, but to no avail, you were unable to settle the thoughts running across your mind. You tried focusing on something else, tried focusing on your breathing, but in the end your thoughts crept towards your stomach where you became aware of a subtle hunger gnawing at your insides. 

You felt like eating- though then again, when didn't you? You knew not to eat all of the time despite the temptations, though perhaps the comfort of a fully belly would put your mind at ease.  
The idea of forcing yourself out of bed- out into the mercy of the unforgiving cold, was a completely unappealing one. Rubbing tenderly at your eyes and stretching your limbs you forced yourself upright, blankets collecting at your waist and you threw yourself out of bed, hunger serving as enough motivation to face the icy grip of the night. 

Creeping out of your room and into the darkness of the hallway, you took note of the household's deathly silence. It was strange for this house to ever be silent other then at the dead of night, when everyone was tucked away in their beds, hiding under the safety of their blankets.  
Your uncovered feet hitting the carpet was the only sound that broke the silence. You travelled the halls, running your hand against the walls until your eyes adjusted to the heavy blanket of darkness draped across the house- you didn't want to turn a light on, not if it chanced waking someone else up. 

You'd thought it a completely safe journey without the risk of prying eyes and unwanted company having reached the kitchen at this hour, only to stop dead in your tracks with your two feet pressed firmly against the cold wooden planks of the kitchen floor, watching the slumped figure grip it's skull in its hands and struggle to breathe over the kitchen sink.  
You paused- running your gaze over the silhouette with curious eyes, half inclined to turn and leave but morbid fascination kept you stuck to your spot.  
It took you a few moments of strained inspection, eyes tracing the outlines of a familiar blue hoodie and pink slippers. Your Sans wore tennis shoes.  
The skeleton hunched over and throwing back a glass of water was Classic, the skeleton you'd probably preferred least to encounter. 

"Didn't realise a skeleton could choke." Your voice bounced against the walls of the kitchen and the skeleton froze. Classic's hands gripped at the sides of the bench beside him as he lifted his head and slowly turned his skull to meet your gaze, two small white orbs piercing the darkness.  
The glow that emitted from his sockets was enough to illuminate the rest of his skull, revealing the tender bags hiding under his sockets and the exhaustion pulling at the edges of his eternal smile. 

It was obvious he didn't expect to see you here- or anyone, probably. His sockets widened in shock and he threw himself around completely, spine resting against the counter as his pinpricks shrunk- teeth clenching. "What are you doing here?"

You shrugged, "Was hungry," you gestured with a nod of your head towards the cupboards beside Classic, eyeing the skeleton in front of you. His clothes clung to his bones, visibly damp with what you could only assume was sweat. 

"Right," Classic confirmed, dropping his eyes to his feet, "I'll uh- get outta ya way," he was quick to shuffle to the side and you moved towards the desired destination, swinging open the cupboard doors. Your eyes ran over the options you could make out, before you reached out to grab what you thought was tiny teddies- well aware of the gaze lingering on your back.  
Ripping open the packet of bear-shaped biscuits you threw Classic a glance over your shoulder, in which he immediately adverted his gaze once again. 

Sighing, you tossed a few chocolatey biscuits into the back of your mouth and swung the cupboard closed behind you to turn and face the sweaty skeleton. "What do you want?"

Classic glanced up before looking back down at his slippers, pausing. "I uh- I think it's about time we talked."

You raised an eyebrow at him, despite knowing he couldn't see your expression at the moment. You critically analysed the skeleton in front of you- in no mood to be starting another fight and causing further trouble. "Well, I haven't left have I? Keep talking."

"Heh- yeah uh," he shifted uncomfortably in his spot, glancing over to the doorway, "You wanna go take this somewhere else? Somewhere we can sit down?"

You narrowed your eyes at the skeleton, hand searching around in the plastic bag for more delicious teddies before shrugging, "sure." Classic seemed relieved that you'd agreed to hear him out, relaxing- however slightly, before hesitantly shuffling around and throwing you a glance over his shoulder to make sure you were following. You followed Classic cautiously, though he didn't take you far, instead simply wandering into the lounge room and sitting at the very end of one of the lounges.  
Pausing, you met Classic's expecting gaze before hesitantly taking a seat yourself on the complete other side of the couch, putting as much distance between yourself and him as possible. 

Classic didn't speak right away, instead the both of you sat in the dark in silence for a few awkward seconds as Classic shamefully avoided your gaze by inspecting the rest of the room. You merely stared at the Not-Sans, waiting for him to say whatever the hell he had to say. You weren't very fond of the skeleton in front of you, nor did you really wish to interact with him, but you weren't really in a position to do what you liked. Not anymore.  
"Right," Classic cleared his throat, shifting in his seat and staring over at your feet as you sat with your legs crossed on the other end of the couch. "So I know we haven't gotten along since you've been here," he started, much to your interest. 

From the overall mood of things, you might just be right in thinking that perhaps this was an apology. Classic was an arsehole but you certainly didn't know him very well, not well enough to be able to determine if he was the kind of guy who made apologies.  
If he was anything like Sans, Classic would be one hell of a stubborn guy (which you knew from experience he was), but he'd also not be someone who was unreasonable, he'd find a way to make up for his wrongdoings if it came down to it.

"And I know that the reason we haven't gotten along is mostly my fault." So this was an apology, you realised, twisting in a way to further face Classic to let him know he had your full attention. In no way would you forgive the skeleton in front of you over a few petty words that spilt from his mouth, though perhaps you'd take to hating him less.  
The skeleton in front of you was the person in charge, and It'd be smart to be in the good graces of whoever had the authority. "Sending you over to Toriel's... keeping you stuck here," Classic trailed off, wringing his hands as he racked his skull for words, the shape of his sentences forming on his tongue, "I was unfair- it was wrong. And I guess what i'm tryna say kid is that... 'm sorry? I-I, really, I'm really sorry."

Gritting your teeth you let your gaze flicker over his expression. He had fallen silent waiting for a response from you but you instead took to calculating his words. They sounded genuine, sincere, guilt laced in every letter, like he really did acknowledge that he was the one in the wrong.  
They were pretty words- but that's all they were, words.  
"What are you gonna do about it?"

Classic paused before he finally mustered the courage to glance up and meet your gaze, "I...I don't know yet," he began to inform you, to which you furrowed your eyebrows at his words, "But I'll find a way, I swear."

Your lips parted to speak but you shut them again, instead opting to stare Classic straight in the sockets in thought, hand squeezing the empty packet of Tiny Teddies into some sad ball of plastic wrap and tucking it away in your pocket.  
You sat in silence, you didn't have a response for him, and he apparently had nothing left to say, or at least couldn't find the words to say them, so both of you opted to awkwardly sit across from each other in the darkness with nothing but the dim glow of Classic's eye-lights brightening the room. 

You were a little surprised that Classic had apologised to you. When you had gotten up to get something to snack on you certainly weren't planning on running into someone, let alone Classic of all people. You were never the greatest with words, you were a person who spoke through their actions. You were never taught how to put certain words before others to make them sound pretty, but you were taught to always care and provide for those who care and provided for you. Those people happened to be Sans and Papyrus. You did your best to do whatever you could for them, but it was your lack of ability to keep your cool and sort through problems using civil conversation that had caused a lot of hardship. 

Classic was right in saying it was mostly his fault, because it was partially yours too. You could have kept your cool when you went to speak to him that one time, but you didn't. You didn't know how to convey that emotion bubbling up within your chest, begging to burst, through words- so instead you used your fists, in hope that it would speak for you. 

While your role in the entire situation was nothing like what Classic had done, it appeared that neither you nor the skeleton sitting in front of you were entirely in the right. You both had played your parts. 

Now if only you were brave enough to say sorry.

"What happened?"

Classic's gaze shifted back up to yours after he had let them drop during the silence, confusion tugged at his expression in the way that he stared at you, obviously unaware as to what you were referring too.

"When I found you in the kitchen," you clarified. In response Classic's sockets widened and his grin tightened at the edges as he nervously avoided your gaze. 

"Don't worry bout it," he blew your question off. You weren't on well enough terms to pry, but you felt as if this would be your only opportunity to catch him in a vulnerable state like this. 

"Looked like you were in pretty rough shape," you continued, eyeing the skeleton for his reaction. Classic was tense, visibly uncomfortable with the topic you were discussing as sweat formed at the base of his skull nervously. "Why was that?"

Classic clenched his teeth, inspecting his hands briefly before sliding his gaze over to you, "Just, I don't sleep very well at night, alright?" A sigh escaped his teeth as he began to slump over on the armrest, exhaustion creeping up on him. 

"Why not?" You figured it must be some kind of bad dreams he'd been getting, or something of the like, maybe even insomnia, but you were curious and felt as if you could press for more information for a little bit longer. You rested the side of your head on the back of the couch as you faced Classic, gauging every reaction, each little movement and nervous tick with morbid curiosity. 

Classic's hardened gaze shot over to you, "Listen kid, It really doesn't matter."

"Doesn't it?"

There was frustration evident in Classic's sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "Nightmares, alright. I get nightmares."

You'd figured, but no ordinary nightmare left a person that shaken up. When you found Classic he looked on the borderline of a panic attack. Classic was obviously closed off about the topic- at least to you. You didn't know Classic very well, and you didn't even particularly get along, and as such, what he had nightmares about was really none of your business.  
You studied Classic for a minute longer before letting the conversation drop. You were feeling tired yourself and had no doubt you'd be sleeping easy as soon as your head hit your pillow. 

Standing up you watched as Classic's gaze followed you. You opted to shuffled out of the room and back upstairs where you could bury yourself under your bed's blankets but found your feet locking in place once you reached the doorway. You glanced over your shoulder, "You know, nightmares are only healthy," you began, deep in thought. You could only just make out his expression but it was obvious he hadn't expected you to say anything along those lines. "They're a form of fear, you know, 

**and fear is what keeps you alive."**


	25. CATS AND DOGS

You were left to ponder your conversation with Classic last night, his apology and what it would bring in the future. His tender words seemed genuine, but you couldn’t help the paranoia of deception. You couldn't control it; you’d come to be untrusting of words. The lies that spilt from the lips of loves one’s countless times before had installed an unhealthy distrust in you of the empty promises made by others.  
Gritting your teeth, you eventually relented. You chose to have faith in the sincerity of Classic’s words, because currently, that’s all you had; hope.  
You’d crept back upstairs after the brief interaction the two of you shared last night, back to your room only to find Sans hiding in the shadows of your room, patiently waiting for your return as he'd been having trouble sleeping. You’d walked back inside and instantly he smelt it- smelt the scent of his original counterpart- however faintly- on you. He’d frowned and waited for your explanation but never received one.  
You had no doubt that Sans would be suspicious of the interaction, though you provided him with no information. It wasn’t like you were trying to hide it from him, you were just exhausted, eyes drooping and body begging to be put to rest.  
You decided to bring it up when he asked in the morning, though he never did, he simply narrowed his sockets at you and kept you close.  
It wasn’t until late this afternoon that Sans begrudgingly shuffled away from your side when Papyrus picked up on his overbearingness. You knew that Sans only meant well, opting to follow you around like a guard, ensuring that whatever he assumed happened between you and Classic didn’t occur again. Sans had always been the possessive type, so whenever he felt as if something was off, he’d take everything he cared about and hover over them, guard them until he was certain there was nothing wrong.  
You couldn’t blame him, you found back underground that if you didn’t hold onto the things that mattered as tightly as you could, you’d lose them- and you’d never get them back. Even the smallest of mistakes and accidents were fatal, so you clung to the things you cared about, holding onto them for as long as you could.

Now you were left alone in the especially chilly lounge room. You knew skeletons weren't as sensitive to the cold as humans were and as such didn't see a very big need for heaters, having obviously forgotten the human in the house. Papyrus, on the other hand, had noticed the drop in temperature and had sought you out, tossing the warmest jacket he could find at you a little while ago.  
You were by far used to the cold at this point and far from the point of complaining- not when you had big fluffy blankets to wrap around yourself and a roof over your head to shield you from the harsh Autumn weather.  
You'd had you fair share of burying yourself amongst the ice and frost coating the land around you, squeezing all of your limbs into your jacket in hopes it would be enough to get you through yet another cold and cruel Snowdin night. After the first few weeks of the underground, with no where to go and the underground as an entirety nipping at the back of your feet wherever you went, you couldn't complain about the cold. In Snowdin you faced hyperthermia and death, on the surface, in Classic's home, not having the heater on might mean a measly cold or the sniffles. The two could never compare.

As such, you bunkered up, pressing your legs against your torso and rubbed your noise as you watched attentively towards the movie playing on the television. You'd found that a lot had changed in four years, in trends, fashion, technology and entertainment. Most of the movies and shows that played nowadays were ones you were completely unfamiliar with, and you weren't entirely sure if it was because of the time gap or whether your universe and this one was just that different.  
Currently some large purple guy was battling some group of hero's- something about being stoned and killing half of the universe?  
You only started paying attention half way through, but it was interesting enough. 

You were left to be pretty enamoured in the movie all alone in the lounge room, sinking into the cold leather lounge. Chills prickled against your skin but all you did was idly rub at your limbs and ignore the sensation.

Just before the climax of the movie you found yourself idly noting another person slinking into the room. Eyes glued to the Tv screen you only registered them from the corner of your eyes, not bothering to glance over at your new company until they saw it fit to slide into the seat next to you.  
Shifting your gaze over to the newcomer, you meet the orange eye-lights of a familiar skeleton. 

Mutt smirked at you, before stretching his arms and resting them behind his head, redirecting his gaze to the television. You stared at him a moment longer before going back to watching your movie.  
You were tempted to scoot away from him, seeing as the sunken position he was sitting in took up maximum space, his left knee hovering centimetres away from your own.  
You stayed purely for the reason that you didn't want to draw attention to the issue more than you had too, that, and it wasn't like you and Mutt had any kind of quarrels beforehand. 

You were slightly curious about Mutt- in fact you were interested in learning about your new 'housemates'. You were curious to as what exactly the underground was like for each set of brothers- you'd noticed the scars and pointy edges certain skeletons bared, and you knew they didn't come naturally. The stern looks and violent inclinations several versions of Papyrus and Sans possessed weren't something people are born with- it's how they're raised, the environment they live in.  
The only reason you hadn't asked is over the fact you didn't want to give anyone the wrong idea and have them think you were inviting them to pry about your version of the underground. 

There were just...some things you weren't ready to talk about. Not yet- not with them. Maybe not ever with them. They wouldn't understand.

You had finally begun to refocus on the movie when you noticed Mutt stealing a glance at you from the corner of your eye. You quickly spun your head to meet his gaze and raised an eyebrow, " 'M'lord' not in need of your services?" You joked. 

Mutt paused, before grinning himself. "The M'lord is capable of taking care of 'imself."

"Ah, okay, so he just likes getting everyone to do everything for him anyway?"

Mutt shot you a look, there was mostly amusement but if you looked closely enough there was a hint of warning- cautioning you to not take the mockery further. You guessed the sense of protectivity Sans had over his brother was common in most of the older brother personality types.  
Fair enough, you guessed. You were protective of your skeletons too.

"He's a leader- likes to take charge," Mutt began to explain, slumping further into his seat as his gaze drifted towards the flying fists running across the TV screen, "Was captain of the royal guard even. He was real proud of that achievement- don't blame 'im." 

Black was the captain of the royal guard in Mutt's universe? You were very curious, about how Black became Captain, and who came before him. You knew for a fact that Papyrus had, once upon a time, longed to join the guard too. Papyrus had always had a deep yearning for acceptance and admiration- even more so than nowadays. When you'd met Papyrus for the first time you met a broken skeleton, but from the pride he held in his stance and the charm lingering in his misshapen smile were the remnants of a great and confident person.  
It was a slow realisation figuring out that the underground had broken him in more ways then one, stripped him of his proudest features- his smile and his hope.  
Papyrus was just liked Creampuff, until the world robbed him of his future. 

It hurt to think there was an alternate world where other younger brother types were living out the dreams Papyrus could never achieve. 

"How'd he earn that?" You rubbed at the end of your nose as a chill bit at the exposed skin, waiting with mild curiosity for Mutt's answer. You watched carefully for all of Mutt's expression, choosing to string your sentences together carefully. 

"Beat Alphys- Our world's equivalent of Undyne," he stated simply, kicking his left foot over his right.

"Kill her?"

Mutt's eye-lights flickered back to you momentarily, "Nah." You were almost a little surprised, you didn't take Black as the merciful type. "Took an eye though."

"What did she do?"

"Nothin'- just had the position M'lord wanted, so he took it."

That made a whole lot of sense. You didn't know Black very well but you had no doubt he would be capable of such a thing. He seemed like a rather malevolent person, someone who thrived on violence.  
Your Papyrus wouldn't. He did what he needed too but he never went out of his way to inflict harm upon another.  
Despite everything, he was still kind.  
You supposed that was the real reason for why he never got in the royal guard, the reason why he was hurt so badly by Undick. He thought she was his friend and she used and abused him. 

"Huh. 'Alphys' must have been _blind_ with rage after that incident."

A snicker escaped Mutt's teeth as he shifted in his seat to sit on an angle that allowed him to partially face you. "Heh. Yeah, _eye_ didn't _see_ the point to all the fuss. The fight though was quite a _sight_ to see." 

You paused, evidently out-punned. You had many years of practise with Sans but you supposed that there was a high likelihood you would never quite catch up with his level- or his alternate counterparts. Rubbing away the itch in your nose a smirk curled at the edges of your lips, "Too bad I wasn't there to v-ah- _ah_

_achoo!_ "

Your previous words caught in your throat as you processed what happened. Scowling, you rubbed at your nose sourly. From beside you, Mutt vibrated in amusement. 

"Ppft. What was that?"

"What did it sound like," you stated bluntly, re-tucking your hands back into your hoodie's pockets. You supposed you had gotten the sniffles, or even the cold. You hadn't had a proper cold in years, you assumed it had something to do with being underground. Monsters didn't experience illness the same way Humans did, and as such didn't carry it around. Sure, you occasionally got a bad cough or a runny nose, but you found unless you had eaten something...odd, you didn't really get sick at all. 

You blamed being around Humans. 

"Sounded a bit like a cat to me."

That was the statement that caught your attention. You paused to slowly redirect your attention and lock your gaze with Mutt's, parting your lips but no words spilt out. "Must be one violently sick cat."

Mutt momentarily choked on his words to wheeze out a chuckle, "Hey- a pussy is a pussy, all the same to me."

"-Ppft," you hated to admit how much you appreciated the crude joke. "Whatever you say- Puppy," you mocked.

Mutt furrowed his bone brows, "better watch your tongue _kitten,_ or you'll find this dog isn't all bark and no bite."

"And that's why we put leashes on dogs," you teased, grinning victoriously at his mildly annoyed expression as you eyed the collar wrapped around his neck.

"Kitten's got claws," he commented, squinting his sockets at you. "You got something against dogs?" Mutt interrogated- almost as if he were offended. He didn't seem upset, just annoyed, and as the credits rolled on the TV you decided you were done interacting for the day.

Standing to your feet, you shrugged. "Thought Cats and Dogs weren't supposed to get along."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been literally forever since I've updated but I plan on getting back on schedule I swear!
> 
> Exciting things to come- I promise.  
>  =) 


	26. BLUEBERRY CRUSH

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been super excited to write this chapter!
> 
> Cuteness to come ;) 
> 
> <3 <3 <3
> 
> This is a blatant lie. 

You were a little surprised to wander downstairs and realise you were no longer the only human in the house. In fact it seemed there was a little Saturday lunch gathering within the household, an event you weren't informed about. 

Tugging your hood up and over your head to hide the knots and tangles roaming in your hair, you ran your eyes over the room, locking them with Toriel's. You paused, maintaining eye contact with the goat-woman as she stretched a pleasant smile across her lips, opting to approach you.  
You snuck a glance behind you, wandering if you could still turn around and escape the dining room as Toriel strode over to you.  
You weren't entirely sure why she wanted to talk to you, especially considering the two of you weren't exactly on good terms. Reluctantly, you held your ground, deciding the woman deserved at least that. After all, she had helped you out quite a bit. 

"Y/n, how are you doing?" Having zoned out, you trailed your eyes back up to Toriel's crimson orbs, momentarily staring until you regained your composure. 

You shrugged, staring at the lady. She was wearing a purple dress- but not just an regular purple dress, the one you told her she should have gotten, all that time ago. It was a flowy purple material with golden embroidery lining the edges, seemingly suited to her shape.  
You wondered if she got it custom fitted or whether she just naturally looked good in the colour purple.

Toriel seemingly noticed your staring, glancing down to inspect herself before humming pleasantly, "Oh yes, I took that advice you had given me. It was such a nice dress, would have been a shame to simply leave it to age on that mannequin."

You hummed in acknowledgement, "Looks good," you grunted awkwardly, shifted your gaze away from the towering woman's eyes and rubbing at your nose.  
It seemed you had gotten the sniffles- however mildly, and whenever you sneezed you thought about Mutt's little comment and felt a spike of mild annoyance. 

Sure, you liked cats but you were no kitten. 

"You seem very distracted today, Y/n," Toriel pointed out, finally capturing your full attention. You paused, piercing your lips.

"Dunno, just have a weird feeling," you explained, unsure of why you were so unfocused yourself. 

"About what, might I ask?" Toriel watched you curiously, but politely, You appreciated her efforts to remain civil but you couldn't help but feel strange about how nicely she was treating you despite how less then pleasant you'd been. You weren't entirely sure you'd ever feel completely comfortable with some of the pacific ways of some of the people born in this universe. 

"Wouldn't know."

"Hmm," Toriel evaluated you for a pause longer, before turning to join your side and watch the rest of the room. Frisk and Chara were currently circling Creampuff, tugging on the ends of his scarf as he conversed proudly with the two children. It was pleasant, like Creampuff had his own little fan-club. 

You found your heart sinking as your gaze found Papyrus, to the side of the room and speaking vigorously with Blueberry. Both seemed blissfully unburdened by any troubles as of the moment, but it always hurt looking at the versions of your boys that had gotten everything Sans and Papyrus had ever wanted and never got.  
You could only imagine what it was like for them. 

You wanted to walk over and join Sans, who was clenching his axe in his hands as he sat at a seat by himself, gaze boring into another one of the guests. From across the room, uncomfortably close to Papyrus, Undyne wrapped her arms around her 'Fiancé'- Alphys. Well, it had been a short while since you'd (thankfully) seen them both (well, more so Undick), for all you knew the two could already be married by now.  
You didn't really care either way.

That wasn't the only Undyne and Alphys in the room though- no, that other Alphys- Crimson, you believe her name was, was standing beside a particularly edgy looking Undyne- her Undyne, you assumed. This pair wasn't boondoggling in each others arms like the original pair, rather they were in the company of Edge and Red. The conversation seemed to only really include the edgy Undyne and of course Edge, the other two mostly keeping themselves and sometimes interrupting to throw in a crude comment. 

What really caught you by surprised though, was by far the biggest monster in the room. A large goat monster- featuring pointed horns and a grand golden beard. You might have been intimidated if it weren't for the pink flamingo button up shirt, khaki shorts and shit-eating dad faced grin he was sporting. His ruby eyes drifted over the room, momentarily locking with your own and giving you a small, gentle smile before turning to approach Classic and Stretch. 

"...This is a lunch, yeah?" You questioned Toriel, who was smiling peacefully at the room around her- your eyes still following the easily 10 foot goat monster in pink crocs.

"Indeed it is."

"Then...why is nobody in the kitchen?" You tilted your head to flash Toriel a confused expression. 

"Oh," she chuckled over some joke you obviously missed out on, "Papyrus dear- and of course the other brothers that generally work in the kitchen are still... improving on their abilities in the kitchen," she explained, to which you only furrowed your eyebrows.

"So?"

Toriel paused, humming to herself as she tried to find the right way to explain whatever she wasn't getting at. "Well, there was a bit of an agreement to just get take out seeing as... not everyone has the same tastes as the boys that like to cook."

Was she saying that they didn't want to have to eat their cooking? It didn't really bother you, seeing as everyone ate their food anyway and nothing was being wasted- that and though you didn't discriminate when it came to food you knew what she was saying was, perhaps, true. Excluding your own Papyrus, of course. Perhaps once upon a time his cooking abilities were to the standard of the skeletons here, but nowadays he was a bit of an expert in the kitchen- he prided himself when it came to food. 

Heh. You guessed that was something Paps had that no one else did.  
Some small fortune that Papyrus had achieved that the others hadn't. 

It was good to think Papyrus finally had something on them that no other younger brother personality did. 

The conversation between the two of you fell silent once again, until idle curiosity finally got the best of you. "Who's that?" You gestured over to the only other goat monster in the room, laughing with the two skeletons he was accompanying. 

Toriel hummed in question, eyes following your gestured direction before her expression soured. You immediately realised that perhaps that wasn't the best question to ask. 

"That is Asgore," Toriel spoke through a hint of frown, narrowing her gaze at 'Asgore'. "The king of monsters." Hold on- king of monsters? Wouldn't that mea- "-And also my Ex."

Your parted lips closed as you stared up at the sombre faced woman who was glaring over at her ex husband. You were obviously conversing a subject that upset the ex-queen, though you felt you still had room for prying. You hated being left in the dark. 

"What happened?" There was no context needed for your question for Toriel to immediately understand. Her eyes hovered over your own at your question before they flickered back to Asgore, a bitter frown tugging at the edges of her lips as she clasped her hands bleakly. 

"You do know about the seven souls- do you not?"

"Of course."

"I-" Toriel's teeth clamped shut before she could begin to explain, eyes dropping to the floor as she sighed heavily. "Chara- the Chara you know is not my own, but rather the child of another version of myself- from Stretch's and Blue's world," you nodded slowly, faintly recalling being told something similar in the past. "Chara, the one from this world- my precious child was the first human to fall to the underground- before humans were hunted for their souls."

Your eyes widened slightly as you realised where this was going. You knew about how monsters needed seven human souls to break the barrier, how they had six until a human child had swept through the underground before disappearing, taking both the king and the six humans souls with them.  
You were blissfully unaware of this side of the story. 

"There was a tragic accident, between both Chara and my son- Asriel, and we lost both of them," a shaky breath escaped Toriel's lips as if the words she had spoken physically hurt her. You imagined that on some level they did. "Chara was deathly ill, their dying wish having been to rest among the flowers they loved most caused Asriel to use their soul to cross the barrier and rest their body among the buttercups they adored. The humans of the surface- they..." Toriel paused. She didn't really have to go on for you to piece together what happened and you were well aware she knew that, yet she rolled her shoulders and straightened her stance, a new found confidence in her voice as she remained determined.  
"The humans had assumed that my son had killed them, and thus lead to my precious boy's death."

You weren't entirely sure what to say- if you should say anything at all. You remained quiet, giving her your undivided attention to show your respect for her grief. 

"Asgore-" her words hardened and as did her expression, anger evident in her eyes," He was consumed with rage and put in place another law- one that demanded the murder of any and every human unfortunate enough to fall to the underground." Despite the upbeat environment the two of you were surrounded in the atmosphere between the two of you had fallen quite bleak and sombre.  
"Every man, woman and child- was to **die,** " Toriel swallowed harshly, gaze burning as they glared at her ex from across the room. "I, of course, would not stand for that. So I left," she finished simply. 

It was obvious that the woman in front of you was deeply hurt from the tragic events of her past. There was a lot of resent and grief in her expression if you cared to look for it, you found.  
Perhaps...perhaps this universe had its tragedies too.

"...Why'd you tell me that?" You questioned quietly. You had no intention of being disrespectful, it just felt strange for her to be so open and vulnerable with you. "You hardly know me."

Toriel didn't respond at first, a million thoughts evidently running through her head as she swallowed harshly. Patiently, you waited as Toriel found the courage to redirect her attention towards you, eyes sliding downwards to lock with your own. "It is no secret, I'm afraid. You would have been informed one way or another- better from me than anyone else."

Piercing your lips you nodded, turning back to face everyone else. The two of you stood in heavy silence for several more minutes, unsure of what to say to each other or how to change the topic or even if you should. Gritting your teeth and inspecting the ground under your feet you took a deep breath.  
"You can't go back I'm afraid," you started. You knew that better then anyone else. There was no point dwelling on your regrets and 'what ifs'- there was no redo's. The things of your past had been done- there was no way back. "No other way then forward now, huh?" you muttered.

With those last few words you determined there was nothing left for you to say. There was no point dwelling in this dull mood any longer. You threw a glance over your shoulder to flash Toriel a wary and awkward grin before slipping away to tend to your own affairs, well aware of her surprised gaze burning into your back.

You were still in a relatively sombre mood as you strolled away from Toriel- searching for Sans only to find he'd gone missing. You originally intended to slump by him, knowing his company would be the best for some downtime- especially after that conversation with Toriel. You thought you might even bring up what she told you with Sans, figure out if something similar had happened in your world.  
You were beginning to realise you didn't know as much about the underground as you'd previously anticipated. Better late then never you supposed. 

Feeling fatigued you simply slumped over in the seat you last saw Sans, sniffing as you rubbed at your nose before slipping your hands in your pockets. It wasn't as cold as yesterday, now that the heater was turned on. Apparently now people had the courtesy to put on the heating now that visitors were over. 

Resting your head against the back of your seat you eyed the rest of the room lazily, quickly adverting your gaze whenever they landed on someone you didn't like until they finally settled on Papyrus. A small grin crept on your face as you watch both Paps and Blue skip over to go and speak with Creampuff, who was now alone now that Chara and Frisk had wandered off to speak to Asgore and his company.  
There were quite a few inhabitants in the household that you knew weren't particularly friendly, but you were glad that Papyrus had found a few people he got along with. Both Blue and Creampuff were already good in your book, but getting along and accepting Paps definitely earnt them a few brownie points. 

You kind of wished there were more people for Sans to get along with too. You knew he wasn't the most social with strangers or people he didn't like, but other than yourself and Paps he mostly hung around himself. Why was ensuring the two were happy so complicated? 

A sigh escaped your lips only to be jolted out of your thoughts as another familiar skeleton slinked into the seat from across you. You stared at him curiously, in which he merely smirked, pulling out a deck of cards and chips from the depths of his purple hoodie. You watched Slim shuffled the cards in his hands expertly, dumping the chips on the table- fully aware of his gaze lingering on you. 

"Poker?" He rasped, to which you merely raised an eyebrow at him before shrugging.

"Deal me in." Sinking further into your seat you propped your feet up onto the table, watching as he dealt the cards to ensure he was playing fair. Having picked up your cards, you plucked one out from in between your fingers to reorder them, "So, no one else willing to play with you?"

"Played with everyone else before," he shrugged, grinning mischievously at you, "Mind ya, we're playin with cash."

"Alright," you agreed, scanning your cards. You currently didn't have any kind of money- which really bothered you, but you had no doubt you'd find a way to pay him back if you lost. The topic also reminded you that you should really get job, though you found it unlikely Classic or whoever would agree.  
You just really hated been totally reliant on these people you hardly trusted. Who knew when somebody would come and take it all away.

With a smirk twitching at the ends of his teeth he pushed in a few chips, obviously easing into the game. Squinting at the skeleton across from you, you followed suit, the two of you throwing your cards in at the same time. Slim grinned widely down at your own cards, a three of a kind. "Not bad," he hummed before smirking, "Not great either," he mused, eye-lights twinkling as he swiped up his cards to show off his full house.

The two of you exchanged a couple of games though you noted considering the methodical way he worked around with the cards you'd assumed he was going easy on you. Must figure you don't really have any money to work with in the first place. "You look like you know what you're doing," you noted, glancing up at the slouched skeleton across from you. 

Shrugging, "Just tryin' to make a lil extra on the side darlin'," he purred, rearranging his cards, a frown tugging at the ends of his teeth before dropping his cards onto the table- one pair. Smirking, you dropped your own cards- a flush. 

Humming, you took the pot and were redealt, "Why? Work not paying enough?" You knew for a fact that several of the skeletons within the household worked, though you didn't have the slightest clue as to what exactly most of them got up too except perhaps Creampuff and Blueberry who were in law enforcement. From what Slim was implying was that he, indeed, did earn some form of income, and you were curious as to what someone like him would do for a living. 

"Can never have too much money," he chuckled simply, leaving you to search his expression.

The inhabitants of this household certainly were interesting- particularly the Papyrus'. It was mostly because it was strange looking at someone that was so obviously Papyrus but so obviously a very different person. There were Papyrus' that still retained your Pap's loud and bold demeanour but were much harsher and crueller in personality, there were Papyrus' that dressed lazily and slugged around the household- the very opposite of how Paps behaved. Creampuff was easily the most similar to Papyrus, almost like as if they used to be the same person, just somehow the two were separated by a small event that changed everything- the famine. It was thoughts like those that really bothered you, as if there was some sort of hidden mystery in need of being figured out.

"Yeah? What do you do for a living?"

Slim glanced up at you over his cards, "Awful curious there ain't ya darl'." It wasn't a question, rather the coldness in those few words spoke sentences. Perhaps it was best to not pry. Not right now, anyhow. You weren't exactly on friendly turns with the skeleton in front of you, or the majority of the population in the room currently. 

The two of you fell silent as you kept playing, occasionally exchanging snickers and smug grins whenever one of you won. The two of you had a pretty even split of chips by your eleventh game with perhaps Slim hauling a slightly bigger load until a particularly loud booming cause everyone in the room to jump.

Craning your neck around to see the source of the sound, you found it was merely Black demanding everyone's attention. By his side slouched Mutt, white plastic bags strung from the ends of their fingers filled to the brim with cheap take out.  
You eyed the food, stomach churning hungrily.

"Well? Get Moving! Isn't Somebody Going To Get The Plates? Clear The Table?" Black spat instructions at the room and while some sighed, others- such as Blue and Creampuff jumped to their feet and swiftly exited to grab the plates and cutlery while Paps began to pack away the miscellaneous items sprawled across the table top. 

Sighing, you twisted back around and slumped in your chair, "Game over?" You eyed the skeleton across from you who looked equally annoyed as several of the other inhabitants of the dining room felt. 

" 'Spose," he rasped, eyeing the cards and chips laying out in front of him. "Guess I take the pot?" He grinned, and much to your sour disappointment you realised he had won. Bitterly, you nodded. 

"Yup," you popped the p, straightening in your seat and dropping your feet from the table, stretching over the table to offer Slim your hand.  
He eyed your outstretched appendages before hesitantly slipping his own phalanges around yours, giving your hand a single, firm shake. The feeling of bone had long since become familiar with you, but the touch of someone who wasn't quite the person you knew felt completely alien, foreign. It left a strange feeling tingling on the tender flesh where your hands met. 

"I'll let ya pay me back later yeah?" He offered as the both of you began to scoop up the chips and dump them into one pile, putting cards back into the deck. Your eyes shifted up from the chips you were dumping into his hands to his sole red tinged socket, raising a brow at him. "Know you don't got much to offer as of current, 'm I right?"

You eyed the skeleton in front of you curiously before slumping back in your seat, finished with packing up. You didn't give Slim any verbal reply but you knew he already got his confirmation as you crossed your arms casually and waited for lunch to be dished up.

While waiting for lunch to be served Slim slipped out of his seat and slinked off somewhere else, assumingly to his brother seeing as he was the only person you saw him hanging around- though then again, you didn't really see Slim around much at all unless everyone was eating together in the dining room. Everyone else in the room who was assigned a particular task opted to instead start settling down and finding their seats and you found that with the increased number of people in the house that the table was a lot fuller than usual. 

Just as the first few plates start to come out did Sans decided to present himself, standing in the doorway to run his bloated crimson orb over the room until it found you. Your favourite shorter skeleton shuffled over to you falling back in the seat to your right and stared at you in greeting. 

"Heya," you grinned lazily over at Sans, causing his own grin to crease at the edges. 

"Where's Paps?" Sans questioned, running his sockets over the room in search of his younger brother- not particularly worried but still preferring to know his location. 

"Helping dish up everything," you explained simply, resting your gaze on him and pressing your cheek against the palm of your hand. "You know about this whole Saturday lunch thing coming up?"

"Nah," Sans' shifted his gaze over the kitchen doorway, where Paps was walking out behind Blue with two plates in his hands. Papyrus met Sans' gaze, grinning wider and began to strut over in your direction. 

"What The Fuck Did You Just Say To Me?" Everyone was jolted out of their peaceful mood to twist around in their seats and watch as the Edgier Undyne rose from her seat, knocking her chair over in the process. 

You paused, spinning around to face the commotion. From across the fish was Edge, a deep scowl edged into his skull as he glared over at his fuming counterpart. "Relax _Fish,_ I Was Merely Speaking The Truth!"

A growl left the jagged teeth of the edgier Undyne as she rolled her shoulders and shifted her stance to a defensive one. "That's Fucking Bullshit!"

"-Woah, I think you two need to calm down," Stretch rested his hand on the fish's shoulder, attempting to resolve the conflict only for the edgier Undyne to shrug him off, propping a long leg on the table to pounce over it and on Edge. 

"FUCK OFF! You Didn't **Let** Me Go! If Anything- _I_ Let You Win! _I'm_ The Real Captain Here!" She was on the table, looking positively venomous as Edge took a few cautionary steps back, summoning a defensive belonged bone sharpened at the ends and emitting a reddish hue. By now everyone had realised a fight was about to break out, pushing themselves up from their seats. "You Beat Me _Once,_ " A golden orb of light sparked in Undyne's hand, morphing outwards until a spear settled in the pit of her hand. " **But Don't Forget Who Taught You Everything You Know."**

The spear shot from Undyne's hand, magic pulsing as several skeletons jumped to try and stop the commotion right as the deadly weapon plummeted forward right into Edge's ch-

"NO! STOP!"

The room went still.

In an instant did all the commotion in the room disappear as people were left to stand hopelessly, watching the skeleton in front of them drop to their knees, the little eyelight's in their sockets wavering.  
They choked on their words, desperate to tell the world their dying words, hands hovering around the golden spear pierced through their sternum, staring at the room around them with wide sockets- in shock.

"P-Papy?" Little baby blue tears on the brink of falling formed, voice breaking as they sobbed through the pain. 

"B-blue?" Stretch stared with wide sockets, jaw agape as If he couldn't register the scene in front of him, "Sans?" he choked, taking an unsure step forward with his eyes pinned on the injured skeleton. "SANS!"

Realisation seemed to sweep over the room as a whole as Stretch leaped forward, the golden spear dissipating just in time for the brother's chests to collide as Stretch desperately pressed Blue against him, pulling him closer to him and tucking his brother's head under his chin as if trying to merge bodies, sockets wide and golden tears burning his cheeks. 

Nobody knew what to do. You all stared in shock, completely helpless as Stretch screamed into Blueberry's baby blue bandana, dust falling through his fingers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so maybe I lied about the 'cuteness' part in the first note- I've been planning this for literally forever.
> 
> Bye Bye baby Blue.
> 
> Anyone catch on to the foreshadowing in the invisible text from 'FOREST BERRIES'? No? alright then.


	27. NEW ARRIVALS

Warmth stole the chill that sat under your skin, invaded your senses and held you snug in it's embrace. A shiver, not unpleasant like most dragged across your spine until your entire body shook.  
You were giddy, fingers twitching and limbs restless. The only thing that kept you glued to the ground- crossed legged as you stared longingly towards the pools of red and orange was the exhaustion that had settled in your bones. 

You had spent too much energy- you needed to sleep- to eat. You weren't entirely sure if you'd make it back. 

Wringing your hands your fingers curled in the air, enjoying the pleasantness of the thick heat spread across this area of the underground. You wanted to venture further, an aching in your chest urging you further but your legs wouldn't take you. They wouldn't even hold you up anymore. 

Even if you had the ability to move further you'd have still stayed put. The temptations poked at the back of your mind but there was nothing further to greet you other than death- the dust held in the wind and settling in the dirt. 

It hurt. The pain gripped at your mind and put your body in a constant state of being on edge and restless desperation.  
A void widened in the pit of your stomach, mean and predatory- clawing at your insides and eating at your mind. 

The harsh cold of Snowdin had left your body numb, every bruise and scar unnoticed. Hotland melted away the numbness. Sitting out in the open, fighting yourself to keep your eyes open and completely isolated with nothing but your own thoughts to keep you company- the ache increased. 

It spread from your very core like an illness, shooting from your stomach to your limbs, desperation reaching even the very tips of your fingers until you quaked. Your mind, your body craved to be filled- teeth gritting and hands clenching anxiously. 

You had to watch yourself descend into near madness. Watch as the weight carried on your bones decreased, eaten away by your body. Watch what once was a strong, healthy body grow sickly- a posture that was once confident and swift grow sluggish- each footstep forced forward a burden on your body, a reminder of the unsatisfiable cravings that ate at your insides. 

You tried to ignore it. Squeezed your eyes closed and bite into your tongue until they hurt but the thoughts were relentless. They knew no mercy- no kindness- just hunger.  
You'd forgotten everything else. 

Each breath hurt- lungs burning as they forced themselves to expand and contract with a lethargic pace. Your chest squeezed painfully, desperate for air but your body was limp- completely immobile, forcing itself to keep working past exhaustion, fighting the inevitable. 

You'd never see Snowdin again, you realised. Nor the world in front of you- or anywhere ever again.  
The thought wasn't bitter, nor eager- it held no real emotion.  
It was a simple realisation to you, plain and obvious and it held itself at a distance detached from the rest of reality. 

You felt like an outsider, merely watching in from some other place. Your limbs felt strange- body foreign as your mind disorientated itself from the rest of itself.  
You didn't want to be eaten. 

To think you'd be the reason someone got to live to wake up next morning was unsettling but you didn't try to fight it. There was a natural instinct to try and survive, to persevere but your body refused to comply.  
It didn't matter what you wanted anymore. It was just how things worked- the natural cycle of life and death. While though you hated the thought- if you had to be someone's next meal then so be it. You didn't imagine there would be much use else for you.  
You hated it- but you understood. 

You weren't entirely sure when you'd stop being alone- when their face had crept into the corner of your gaze. You blinked, vision blurry but you couldn't find the energy to crane your neck to inspect the monster. You guess this was the lucky guy- the one that got to eat you- got to live another day.

You weren't scared- you just hoped they'd let you die before they sunk their teeth into you. 

A deathly silence rung in your ears- nothing but the crackling of lava to keep you anchored to reality. You were vaguely surprised to find yourself still conscious- unharmed.  
Shiny red boots stuck out in the corner of your vision- polished but breaking at the seams, worn and well loved. The boots felt familiar to you but your mind heavy with fatigue and pounding with the need to eat was unable to properly process the world around you. 

"Human?" You knew that voice- you'd know it anywhere. The voice echoed in the back of your mind, indistinguishable scenes played out of them in your mind- too disorientated to properly be processed by your conscious mind. 

The figure moved to the front of you, crouching down until their eyes levelled with yours. Their empty sockets met your gaze and you felt the world around you begin to spin. The sides of your skull throbbed, body screaming at you until you felt dizzy.  
"Heh....Papyrus?"

"Ah! So You Are Not Quite Dead Just Yet." The strangely pleased volume of his voice added to the mind numbing pain settling in your skull though it hardly registered to you. 

It felt impossible to keep your head up to hold Papyrus' gaze, too lazy to bother finding the words to respond. You could feel the skeleton's gaze on you- though it didn't hold the same heat like it did in his brother's. 

Papyrus- you imagined, would have been someone you would have loved to have known before this. The large, predatory monster had a certain gentleness to him- you had no doubt he'd make your last few moments painless and pleasant. Papyrus was too kind for this, you could only imagine what he was like before the world descended into all of this. The things that would have had to warp his mind for such a gentle- natured creature to be forced to do such horrid acts. 

You'd might have even considered the strange relationship you and the skeleton shared something akin to friendship. You wished it were different, though there was no changing what had already happened.  
Sans- Papyrus brother quite obviously hated you- whether that was a personal thing or merely because you were human you weren't entirely sure of, though despite that, somewhere in the back of your mind you were glad that it was Papyrus that had found you. Out of everyone you had met underground- meek, mean or menacing- Papyrus was kinder than them all. 

You were glad that Papyrus would live a little longer- that he would be able to bring back something to his brother- the person he quite evidently loved dearly.  
You'd found most families had been torn apart during the famine- Parents tearing into their children and siblings battling each other for survival- only the strongest of families held themselves together. 

"Mm," you hummed- quite miserably. "How are ya...Paps?" You breathed heavily, the red boots glued to the stone floor in front of you drawing you into reality.  
You weren't quite ready to go yet, and you knew Papyrus would honour that, he'd sit and talk with you, a calm and reassuring smile stretched across his face until the very end. 

"...Well. Though I Cannot Say The Same For You, Little Human..." Papyrus' gaze shifted over your face before he shifted in his crouched position to instead sit crossed legged in front of you, knees brushing though neither of you recoiled as the both of you sat in each other's company at the edge of Waterfall and border of Hotland. He studied you- his usually expressive face indecipherable. 

You felt a ghost of a smile tug at the corners of your lips, subtle but noticeable. In the back of your mind you found yourself scolding yourself for the wasted energy. "That's good," you muttered half-heartedly. You usually weren't the emotional type, but you couldn't help but feel the need to speak your thoughts- your mind to mouth filter completely diminishing. "Y'know..." you breath shook as you sucked in the air greedily- painfully, "I like ya Paps...I do- Ya cool..."

The skeleton didn't reply for a time and you idly wondered if you'd finally succumbed to unconsciousness.  
"I-" The skeleton's usually sturdy and confident voice broke as he cut himself off, "Human, " he started slowly- hesitantly, "I... Do Not Know How I Feel About...Your Death."

You weren't entirely sure what he was saying, too tired to be bothered to try and look deeper into his words. Instead you just hummed lazily to inform him of your still alive state.

"I Have Spoken To Sans And... I Wish To Bring You Home With Me."

You felt like laughing at his words. "Don't need permission to eat me, Papyrus," you grinned deliriously, eyelids falling and opening in the fight to stay awake.

"That Is Not What I Meant, Human," Papyrus sighed, eyeing your face with something close to concern. "I Have Found Over The Time That I Have Known You, I Have Perhaps Grown To Enjoy Your Company," Papyrus paused, a small grin flashing across his teeth as if remembering a pleasant memory, "I Would Like For You To Stick Around A Little Longer."

You were speechless. You weren't entirely sure what to say- paranoid that this was some kind of sick game or even some twisted pre-death hallucination.

"Please, Human?"

You met his gaze, and found nothing but raw sincerity. 

"I Would Not Like For You To Go."

\-------

A heavy and uncomfortable feeling prickled up and down your arms, running down your spine and settling in the pit of your stomach. Sucking in broken gasps you forced your body upwards, staring wide eyed out into the darkness of your room. 

Heart hammering in your chest, you glanced around the room only to find yourself completely alone. Despite knowing no one else was there you could still feel the chilling gazes running across your skin.  
Throwing yourself out of bed, stumbling over to the side of your room you hunched over by the window, throwing the curtains out of the way and forcing the window pane upwards to slouch outside.  
Panic, overwhelming and desperate gripped tightly in your chest before it began to fade as the icy air hit the flush on your cheeks, cooling the burning sensation tingling underneath your skin.

Heaving, shoulders slumping your eyes began to droop shut once again- not from tiredness, but rather from the calm. It was a silent night and if you listened carefully enough you could hear the crickets in the distance and the occasional squeak of some nocturnal animal. 

Well, it was a relatively quiet night until idle chatter began to bounce down the hallways of the house, bedroom doors clicking open. You pause, eyes opening and withdrawing yourself from the window when you remember what woke you up- it hadn't been the dream, rather a particularly loud bang.

Obviously you hadn't been the only one to wake up from the commotion outside, pulling your window closed as to shut out the cold you decided to go and investigate. Shrugging off your old hoodie and throwing on another, less sweaty, hoodie you pushed open your door, peeking your head out before slipping out the door to follow the noise.

So far the hallway had been empty, glancing left and right you crept down the stairs to the bottom floor, walking passed the longue room to find the good majority of the household gathered within that room. Halting, you leant against the doorframe to listen to Red who was telling everyone to 'Fuck off back to bed', and that the noise everyone heard was just the machine downstairs acting up. 

While it did take a few colourful sentences on Red's behalf mostly everyone slipped away back to their rooms. Standing quietly in the doorway opposite to the one everyone was exiting from, you located Sans, who stared at the red themed version of himself for a few tense moments longer before spinning on his heel to shuffle off, catching your eye on the way.  
Pausing, Sans met your gaze as if to question what you were doing, in reply you merely grinned tiredly at him to reassure him. Nodding, he held your gaze for a moment longer before continuing on his way, slinking off back to bed by Papyrus' side. 

You eyed Red curiously for a moment longer, before continuing down the hallway in the direction you were originally heading with no regard to the skeletons words. Something had happened with the machine- the very machine that had brought you here and you wanted to know exactly what it was. 

At a casual pace you manoeuvred your way around the house, heading in the very direction you'd first arrived in this universe from. The house was still dark and mostly still and you figured it must have still been the dead of night- hours until dawn.  
By the time you'd reached the basement door you already found it left swung open, light from the room below illuminating the cold concrete stairs. Descending below your uncovered feet hit the stone stairs soundlessly, allowing for whoever was downstairs to be utterly unaware of your steady approaching. 

Stepping off the last stair you ducked your head around the corner, gaze wandering around the basement curiously. It was exactly as you had remembered it- still stacked full of tables and benchtops decorated with paperwork and calculators, and right in the centre of it all, pushed up against the back wall was the machine. The lights and buttons glowed and blinked brightly, a whirring noise emitting from inside the machine. 

In a semi-circle around the machine stood several skeletons- eyes running over their features you concluded it was indeed the skeletons with what you liked to call the 'older brother personality'. Well, all of them were there except Stretch- who, along with Blueberry weren't in the lounge room earlier either. Idly wondering where the two had gone off too, you stepped out from behind the wall lining the stairs, approaching the group who were blissfully unaware of your presence. 

"Another two?"

"Yup- no one else by the looks of it."

"Must have been a pretty rough collision for a explosion that loud."

"Definitely- the machine looks alrigh-"

Everybody paused to turn and look over to you, though you paid them no mind, interest captured to the two skeletons unconscious on the basement floor. 

"What the hell? Didn't I already tell everybody to go back to fuckin' bed?" You glanced nonchalantly over to Red, who was seemingly pissed at your blatant ignorance of his orders. 

Shrugging, you looked over to the two skeleton on the ground, running your eyes over their restless forms. The two's appearance varied slightly from the rest of the skeletons within the household- sharp, smooth cracks ran upwards from one socket and another down the cheek of the other socket. They vaguely reminded you of scars, though seemed far too precise,clean cracks to be unintentional- that and both brother possessed matching markings. 

"Kid, you really shouldn't be here," you shifted your gaze over to Classic. You ran your eyes over his expression- he didn't seem upset, rather just very tired. Everyone here looked tired. Including yourself. 

"Where the hell are we?"

The skeletons in the room jolted, twisting their skulls to face the direction of the foreign voice.  
Snug in the centre of the semi-circle of skeletons and yourself and the machine behind him was one of the new skeletons, squinting his sockets suspiciously at the group as he rose from the ground defensively.  
This particular skeleton had a rounder face then the other, not only that but was only three third the other's size. You figured the one you were looking at must have been the Sans of the pair. 

Standing defensively next to his unconscious brother the new Sans ran his squinted sockets over everyone, stuttering when they reached you, before fixating them on your expression. You met his gaze, however briefly, before Classic spoke, redirecting his attention. 

"Calm buddy, we'll explain everything to you."

Dressed in mostly black leather, the new Sans crossed his arms over his chest with a slight frown pulling at his teeth, assumingly waited for an explanation. From beside him, his brother began to stir. You directed your gaze at the taller unconscious skeleton, not paying much mind to the rest of the groups explanation. 

"As you might have figured- I'm you, a Sans," Classic begun, his words sounded practised, rehearsed. You weren't surprised, considering the two were far from the first alternate versions of himself and his brothers to come popping in. "You're in my universe buddy, all the other skeleton's here are from their own universes as well."

New Sans was quiet, gaze calculative. Your eyes flickered back to him just as his gaze shifted back to you. "What's with the human? That ain't a Frisk if I've ever seen one."

Classic glanced over to you warily, before looking back over to the new arrival. "That's Y/n- she came in with another pair of my brother and I." New Sans raised his bone brow curiously, inspecting you further with mild interest but mostly with suspicion. "The reason you're here is due to the collision of different universe's and timelines- usually each one would distance from each other over time but for whatever reason it's been reversed and now they're all crossing over with the original one- mine."

New Sans nodded in acknowledgement, glancing briefly over to his semi-conscious brother. 

"Usually when this happens multiple monsters from the underground are brought over here- though this isn't a guarantee. Occasionally mages can be brought over here as well..."

This was the second time you had heard about mages being able to be brought over as well. New Sans' sockets widened momentarily until Mutt, standing about a foot to your left clarified that you were, indeed, not a mage, but rather just happened to be in a close proximity of the skeletons brought here at the time. 

This whole topic on mages, however, made you very curious. As far as you were aware only a single other human had been brought through the machine- Chara. If the other skeletons here knew you weren't a mage, and if you were to assume Chara wasn't either- how would they know that it was _mages_ that could be brought through the machine, and not just humans?

You weren't given any further time to think over your realisation as the New Papyrus shifted, before sitting up from the floor, tenderly rubbing at his skull. "Brother?"

New Sans was quick to spin around and give his brother his full attention, "Yup? You alright?"

"Where Exactly Are We?"

New Sans and the rest of your company were quick to catch the New Papyrus up, explaining everything that he had missed. You found that the two skeletons were particularly curious about yourself, and it's then that you figured- they probably hadn't reached the surface yet. 

"You wanna see the stars?" Everyone halted their conversation to instead turn and face you. Noticeably, both the new arrivals perked up at your suggestion, though the Papyrus significantly more so than his brother. 

"Pardon, Human, But Are You Suggesting That We Are...On The Surface?" You nodded at the reserved looking Papyrus, gauging both of the new skeleton's reactions. At your confirmation both skeletons exchanged a glance before the Papyrus nodded back at you. "Then Why Yes! We Will Have To Take You Up On Your Offer."

Spinning on your heel, you threw a glance back the two as if to signal both of them to follow, only to be interrupted by Classic, "-Hold up-" everyone turned to face Classic and he sweated nervously, before a sigh escaped his teeth, " Yeah alright, I'll come with." Trotting over to the stairs he glanced back at the group, throwing a wink at the new arrivals, "Think you'll find it to be a rather _sansational_ view," he grinned. 

The New Papyrus sighed heavily as several of the other skeletons already members within the household chuckled at Classics pun. A ghost of a grin crept on your lips at the New Papyrus' reaction- it was amusing to know that within every pair of brothers there would always be one with a displeasure for the low quality humour the other possessed. 

The group of you crept up the stairs, with both of the new arrivals behind you, and behind them being Mutt and Red. You glanced back at everyone on the way up, catching the gaze of the New Sans yet again. You turned back around, mind still on the unfamiliar skeletons as you followed Classic's lead to the back deck and outside. 

As soon as the glass door separating the inside of the house and the wilderness slid open everyone was greeted with the fresh Autumn breeze brushing up against their faces and escaping inside. The newer versions were quick to slip out the door, skulls tilted up on an angle to get the best possible view of the night sky, taking a few extra steps off the deck so that the roof wasn't in the way. 

The two were completely silent- in awe, you imagined- much like you imagined the reaction of every monster once trapped underground had. Though you reacted similarly after escaping that hellish place- you'd grown up with the night sky, it could never compare to seeing it for the first time.  
Not even the crystals littering the walls and rooves of waterfall were half as stunning to the gorgeous specs of light that pierced through the void of space. 

It had been a while standing outside, though you were in no rush, and neither was any of the rest of your company. Though they'd long since become familiar with the sight you could still make out the deep appreciation etched into their skulls.

You were hesitant to interrupt the moment but a question lingered in the back of your mind, one that perhaps, was important. "Hey- ah," you twisted your head to face Mutt, who was conveniently standing by your side. He broke his focus, his eye-lights shifting from the sky to instead meet your own. "Don't we have people coming over for lunch tomorrow?"

Mutt hesitated, momentarily searching your gaze, "Don't worry 'bout that- Classic already took care of that." Mutt shifted his gaze back to the sky and you figured that was the end of that conversation.

Curiosity temporarily sated, you joined the rest in the star gazing, loosing yourself to the depths of your mind.

Of all things to dream about- why the day Papyrus accepted you into his household?

You smiled fondly. Though that day had started off bleak, you were proud to say that it was easily the best day of your life.  
You don't know what you would have done without your favourite pair of brothers in your life. 

Through everything- together, the three of you survived. 

And that's what the three of you will keep doing to the very end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has any information regarding both G!Sans and G!Papyrus (mostly personality wise), feel free to share it to me as I have found there is little information regarding the two and i'm not entirely familiar with both of their persona's quite like I am with the rest of the skeletons.
> 
> Seems like the household has once again increased. This should be interesting, at least.
> 
> Also shout out to NerdyCutie for their comment last chapter I can't stop friggin laughing


	28. G

**Sans**

Grief, body numbing horror ravaged his body.

Bones shaking, tears pinched at his sockets, sharp and painful as they ran down his cheekbones. His soul went still, mind drawing blank. All he could do those first few seconds was watch. Helpless. Useless. 

In an instant his thoughts spiralled downwards, into the depths of the darkest parts of his mind. Blue- his sweet, precious brother- 

He leapt forward, sweeping the smaller skeleton to his chest, clinging to him like a life line.  
Oh god- oh god- oh _god_

"No no no no _no no no..._ " Stretch squeezed him tighter, sockets wide and afraid to glance down at his brother, at the pain and hurt burnt across his expression. Stretch couldn't feel him- feel the warmth that clung to Blue's bones, wrapping themselves around Stretch's chest, pulling him closer in a tender hug. No- Blue's arms hung limp at his sides, face buried under Stretch's chin, jaw hanging loosely in shock. 

His bones felt heavy, head spinning, sickness settling in the pit of his 'stomach'. He couldn't register anything around him, solely focused on his dying brother limp in his arms, focused on the strained rising and falling of his chest with each wheeze. 

He couldn't help it, couldn't help the choke that built in his 'throat', couldn't help the absolute agony cutting through his soul as the solidness of Blue in his arms disappeared. He couldn't help the tears clinging to the edges of his sockets and burning the sides of his face. His shoulders shook, body quaking, the itchy feeling of dust settling between the joints of his fingers, staining his hoodie. 

**Blue.**

No...Things were supposed to be different this time...  
He wasn't supposed to die- not again.... _never_ **again.**

Chara's face burnt into his mind, anger pulsing in his chest as he was left to hopelessly sob into the dusted ridden bandana, burying his face in the soft, untorn material. Again and again- and _again_ he'd seen his brother crumble into nothing but dust, left to be carried away by the wind of Snowdin- **never to be seen again.**

It wasn't right.  
He should have done something- done _more._

He failed- _again._  
He always does. Every. Goddamn. Time.

He was the **worst** brother. Completely useless in attempts to protect his brother, lazy, worthless, good for _absolutely nothing._

Consumed by the anguish of loosing his brother, he welcomed the darkness that prickled at the sides of his vision, eating away at his consciousness.  
He felt numb, motionless against the emptiness of the void. Darkness stripped away the light around him as the world around him fell apart. It was a familiar feeling, yet foreign at the same time, as if he'd experienced the same thing thousands of times before but also for the first time simultaneously. 

A reload.  
The timeline was being reloaded to Chara's- Frisks...., last saved point in time. 

The realisation felt distant, barely registering in his mind. It was deeply disturbing being stuck in the limbo of not existing and being alive, unease gripping unpleasantly at his soul. The eerie serenity of the timeless realm settled in his bones, leaving him on edge.  
He just had to sit through it- like he always did. Left with nothing but his thoughts and the torment of watching his brother die in his arms. 

He hated this- he really did. He wasn't sure precisely what he hated, or who exactly he was angry with at that exact moment, all he knew was the fury pulsing against his ribs drove his thoughts mad. 

Why him? What did he do to deserve this? Out of every monster in the underground- every human on the surface- _why'd he have to be the one to remember?_  
_The one forced to watch everyone around them_ **die.**

This wasn't the first reload since having arrived in his buddy Classic's universe, plenty of both the inhabitants of the households and humans falling victim to one of their outburst had been swept away by the icy grips of death- but never Blue. Not his brother- the person he adored most in the world. 

It was an accident- Stretch knew that. It didn't help misery buried in his bones, in his soul.  
Blue would be brought back by the reset, though it didn't do anything to prove that Stretch was anything but utterly useless.  
If only he'd tried harder to stop the fight between Demon and Edge- it wouldn't have ended like this. 

When Stretch had finally reached the surface with his brother by his side, taken in by the original pair of both himself and his brother, he slowly convinced himself that It wouldn't happen again. That he wouldn't wake up to find himself back in his bed in Snowdin ever again- that he wouldn't ever have to watch the people around him fall to their knees and dust.

**That he wouldn't have to mourn the snow tainted with his brothers dust.**

It was a slow process of realising he was awake, motionless between the cold sheets sprawled across his sheets. He wasn't tired though it felt as if he had never slept. The incident that had happened merely moments ago burnt into his mind, though the same emotion he felt in the moment had become distorted. He felt detached, as if watching his brother die was merely a sick dream, a twisted compulsive thought in the back of his mind. 

A few minutes of only being half aware of being alive and awake in his bed- brought back in time, he threw himself upwards and out of bed with a sharp jolt of his soul, disappearing In thin air.  
Blue- he was, he was...

Stretch paused, his soul hammering in his chest slowing its pace. Undisturbed, Blue buried the side of his face into a pillow, gripping onto the sheets as if to pull them closer.  
Blue was alive. Unharmed. Completely happy- peaceful. 

Relief hit Stretch like a tone of bricks, forcing him to his knees to kneel by his brothers bed, with nothing but his eye lights to give away his presence in the darkness of the room.  
Heh. Stretch remembered a time when his brother still slept with a nightlight- for far longer then any other monster his age did. Remember how the other monsters used to pick on him for it, and Stretch, despite being the younger of the two would always warn them off. With a burning socket and clenched fists the smaller version of himself would grit out threats of a bad time through his teeth when his brother wasn't looking. 

Fuck. He loved Blue. He was his everything.

Something similar to a bittersweet grin tugged at the edges of Stretch's teeth, tears threatening to spill as he rested his skull on the side of Blue's bed, staring adoringly over at his most favourite person in the entire world. A small, breathy chuckle left Stretch's teeth as he sadly observed the healthy rising and falling of his brother's chest.

A rude, obnoxiously loud explosion interrupted the moment. Jumping, Stretch's gaze shifted to immediately look over to Blue's door. Stretch knew immediately that it was the machine. He'd near forgotten what happened whenever a reset occurred. 

Blue shifted in his sleep, propping himself up with his hands and rubbing his sockets tenderly before his baby blue eye-lights moved to locate Stretch's. "Brother?"

"Shhh," Stretch cooed, "Go back to sleep."

"What Was That?" Blue asked tiredly, eyelids drooping after having determining everything was safe from Stretch's gentle words. 

"Nothin' to worry about bro," Stretch murmured, "Just go back to sleep," Blue yawned quietly, bobbing his head in compliance at his brother, before falling back into his bed. Stretch huffed in amusement, shifting in his sitting position to stretch upwards, tugging Blue's blanket further up and over Blue. 

"Nyeheh…" Stretch eyed his brother a moment longer before falling back against the side of Blue's bed. "...Love ya bro'...."

Stretch was sure his brother had long since fallen asleep, head lulling to the side as he stared blankly into the darkness.

"...I Love You Too, Papyrus."

\--------

Everyone had been very curious as to who the new arrivals were, the more reserved skeletons sizing them up from afar and the more sociable skeletons outright skipping up and over to the new company. Papyrus, ever the friendly monster he was, joined his two other eager counterparts (Creampuff and Blueberry) to hello to the new Sans and Papyrus (who hadn't been given their own nicknames as of yet). 

Admittedly, you were also very curious about these newer versions of your favourite brothers. The newest arrivals were by far the least similar versions of Sans and Papyrus. Though while both of them retained plenty of similarities, there were equally as many differences. Not only were the pair taller then the majority of the rest of their counterparts (except, perhaps, your own versions), but they sported markings across their skulls unlike the rest, thinner skulls and leaner builds.  
The two dressed sharply and behaved politely, there wasn't any reason for you to keep your distance. There was only a single reason- of no fault of there own, and that happened to be the peeved silence both you and Sans were sitting comfortably in to your selves. 

As glad as you were to find the new arrivals openly conversed and interacted with Papyrus good-naturedly despite some of his....more unique attributes, you were also annoyed to find the two being treated significantly warmer and friendlier then you and your boys were. It wasn't like the two didn't have scars of their own- they were right there, right on their skulls.  
You couldn't help but be angry at the discrimination the three of you had against you as you first arrived here....treated differently simply because you were...creepier. 

That wasn't your fault- wasn't Sans' or Papyrus' fault. You couldn't help how the underground had warped the three of you, couldn't help that both Sans and Papyrus had been betrayed and deeply hurt by the fish they once would have referred to as a friend.  
….But you supposed the rest of the household didn't know that. 

It was still unfair.

You mostly kept to yourself for the rest of the day, occasionally wandering the halls of the house to go and check up on Paps and Sans, especially with the two new arrivals in the house. Sure, they seemed pacifistic enough, but you hardly knew them. Didn't know what they were capable of. 

That night you were a little afraid to fall back to sleep, paranoia sinking into the pit of your stomach. It was a familiar, but distant feeling. One you hadn't experienced since having reached the surface. Now constantly possessing a full belly and the threat of dying in your sleep having been completely radiated you generally slept much better then underground, though the hazy memory plaguing your mind from last night made you unsettled.  
You were jittery and wide awake. 

Only a couple of hours ago had you, Sans and Papyrus wandered back inside after having watched the sun fall and the oranges and yellows fade from the sky to head to bed, now you found yourself slipping out of bed, bare foot and snug in the trackies and hoodie you'd been wearing for the past week. It'd been getting progressively colder, much to your displeasure. As used to the cold as you were, you'd come to find it a rather unpleasant feeling.  
The chill of Snowdin would bite and scratch at your body, rough and merciless, driving your body to the point of numbness, painting your skin in all kinds of pretty purples and deep, sickly blues until you could no longer feel the tips of your toes.  
Naturally, you'd come to associated the sight of snow with the sinister hands of death. 

Perhaps one day you'll move somewhere warmer- like Queensland.

You found yourself out on the back deck- one of your favourite places to be, other than under the heavy blankets of your bed, of course.  
It was cold out there, but peaceful. It helped settle the anxious pacing of your soul as you settled into the cushions of the deck couch. 

It had been a couple weeks since you'd found yourself pulled into this strange, new world, long enough for things to begin to settle down. Sure, you weren't exactly on amazing terms with the majority of the household, and you still had to be supervised whenever you left the house, but it had been long enough for the rest of the household to adjust to the three of you and for the paranoia of completely relying on people you didn't know to disappear.  
Hugging your legs and resting your head on your knees you found yourself staring at the back of your eyelids. 

You had something's you needed to do, wanted to go, and you happened to be far from patient. You'd been keeping your mouth shut more often and trying to play friendly, avoiding conflict in fear that another screw up would end up with a situation similar to when you had to go stay with Toriel.  
….  
After the heartache of being separated with your boys the first time, you didn't know if you could handle something like that happening again. If the boys could handle something like that.  
No- now that you knew what it was like to be forced to be separated, you refused to allow the same thing to happen again. If anyone ever tried, there'd be a whole lot less complying, and a whole lot more dust. 

Never again.

You rubbed at the ache in the middle of the chest at the thought of never seeing your boys again, only to be jolted out of your thoughts by a barely familiar voice cutting through the silence. Prying your eyes open, you lifted your head from your knees to eye the person who'd interrupted your thoughts.  
"New Sans," you stated dryly, meeting the yellow rings floating in the empty sockets of your company's skull. 

New Sans huffed, reaching into the depths of his pockets to pull out a packet of cigarettes, plucking a single smoke out from the box. "Please, call me G," he smirked, hanging the smoke between his teeth as he pulled out a lighter. 

You eyed 'G' for a moment, mildly curious as to how he earnt such a nickname. From what you could see, there was no real relevance. Perhaps it stood for something? "Smoke break?" You questioned after a few moments of silence- a quiet spent sizing each other up. 

G grunted, "thought now was as good as a time as ever, seeing as Paps is asleep," G's gaze shifted to meet yous, "He doesn't really appreciate me smoking, inside especially."

You hummed in acknowledgement, watching as your company shifted to lean against the deck's wooden railing. "He doesn't have a nickname yet?"

G shrugged, craning his neck to gaze upwards to the night sky, smoke escaping through the gaps of his teeth. "Think he goes by 'Green', actually. I just prefer to call him by his name when no one else is around, ya'know?" 

You didn't answer, but you did understand. To you, your Sans and Papyrus were the original ones, the versions deserving of being referred to as their name. You weren't going to go and start a fuss about the whole nickname thing, but just the mere thought of referring to someone else by their name made you uncomfortable. 

At your lack of reply a silence filled the gap between you. You weren't particularly interested in keeping the conversation alive but you eyed the skeleton in front of you curiously. It felt strange, with the way he casually spoke to you compared to how everyone else in this universe did upon first meeting you. Then again, this was a very different situation- the skeleton in front of you knew you came in with a pair of brothers- but not which ones. He hadn't seen the state the rest of the household found you in- hadn't found out about your little encounters with both Edge and Classic- and certainly didn't know about _your version of the underground._

He knew nothing about you. Had nothing to judge you for. 

A completely clean slate.

G shifted, smothering out his finished cigarette on the wooden rail before turning to face you, leaning back against the fencing. "Ain't much of a social butterfly, I've noticed," he observed, eyeing your expression as if it held the answers to all his unspoken curiosity. 

You shrugged, "Haven't been here all that long myself. Not exactly 'buddy-buddy' with everyone here yet." G seemed to regard your explanation, sated with your answer.

"How long ya been here for?"

"Couple weeks."

G appraised you, seemingly considering something. "Spose that makes sense," he murmured, receiving a quirked eyebrow from you in reply.  
"Noticed some of the others here shooting ya wary looks," he shrugged in answer to your silent question. 

You paused, piercing your lips as you registered G's words. You knew that certain others were still wary of not only yourself, but Sans and Paps too, though you hadn't thought the extent of their cautiousness was big enough for others to start picking up on it.  
You squinted over at the taller-than-average version of Sans. Or perhaps this one was just perceptive. 

"So, as a fellow newbie- whaddya think?"

You shot G a curious look, "of what?"

A small chuckle bounced in G's chest as if the answer to his question was obvious. "The people here. They worth getting to know? Anyone I should look out for?"

To anyone else it would sound like an innocent question, idle curiosity from someone new trying to fit in. There wasn't any ill-intention behind the skeletons words though you couldn't help but feel as if the question was less for the others and more for _you_. As if he already knew the answer to his question, and was merely asking to further figure you out.

"Classic's a dick," you shrugged, blurting out the words as soon as the thought crossed your mind. G seemed mildly surprised at your blatantness, before a grin tugged at his teeth.

"That right?" He mused, humour gleaming in his sockets.

"Definitely." You confirmed, nodding solemnly but not going into any further detail. One way or another- he'd probably find out on his own. You didn't need to tell him. "Stretch is alright- a little standoffish," you continued. "Pretty much Classic's lapdog though."

G eyed you interestedly, "And why's that?"

"Does pretty much anything Classic tells him to do," you explained simply. You thought back to the whole 'supervising' situation. You understood that it was very much Classic's idea, but that didn't mean Stretch had to go along with it so casually. From what you gathered, Stretch mostly went with whatever his buddy Classic said, and vice versa. 

G hummed to himself, shoving his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. The skeleton's stance was relaxed from where he stood a comfortable distance away from you, leaning against the deck railing. You couldn't help but feel he wasn't as easy going and friendly as he appeared at face value. "Good to know," he hummed, signalling for you to continue.

"You should be fine with Mutt," you started, eyeing the skeleton across from you, who seemed to be intently watching your expressions for what you could only assume was hints of deception. He was analysing you, you realised. Trying to form an opinion on you, figure you out. "Don't have a problem with Slim- don't really know him either. Red is a bit of a arse as well, should be alright as 'long you don't provoke them."  
"Why'd I get the feeling you know that piece of advice from experience?"

A frown threaten to pull at the edges of your lips. Red was a dick but overall you didn't have a particularly big problem with him. Sure, you'd gotten in a scuffle with Sans against both him and Edge, but you hardly were angry at him for it. Edge was his brother, all he was doing was protecting his family. He might have been on the opposing side but you couldn't be upset at him for that. His brother, on the other-hand...  
You tried to give Edge a bit of a pass seeing as at the time he didn't exactly know about your...situation, though you couldn't help the deep fiery churn that sparked within your chest whenever you thought about it. You could still see it- see that bite sized treat be crushed between his palm and slip between his fingers- _wasted._

Gritting your teeth you met G's curious gaze, "...It wasn't anything personal." You settled with the most vague excuse you could come up with, though you found it only worked to further ignite the interest in G's sockets. "...Needed to put someone In their place," you reexplained. The skeleton in front of you was evidently still curious though he didn't pry, sated for as of the moment. 

"Heh. Interesting human you are." 

You chuckled to yourself at the remark, "Not exactly the term I'm familiar with being referred to as, but I don't mind the change of pace." Interesting, huh? That was one way to put it. You couldn't help but find an ounce of humour in the situation. If you thought that several of the skeletons had a low opinion of you now- how exactly would they react if they _knew?_  
You had a particular feeling that the skeleton in front of you would find you less 'interesting' than perhaps 'sick'.

…

You weren't proud of some of the things you've done. Who you've become. But none the less, it was the way things were.  
There was no changing that.

G raised a bone brow at you, retrieving his hands from his pockets to instead rest them crossed over his chest. "That right? Why's that?"

"Don't worry about it," you replied simply. As amusing as the idea of telling them was- you knew that it wasn't the time. If ever.  
Certain actions couldn't be redeemed, and considering the people you lived with, you weren't entirely sure if that was something you could come back from.  
The consequences were far too great.

"And what if I do?" He squinted at you, skull tilting to the side as if looking at you from another angle would help him figure out whatever you weren't telling him.

"Then you'd be messing around with something that doesn't concern you," you warned firmly. You weren't upset with G's prying, merely letting him know he wouldn't get anywhere further on that topic, and that it wasn't any of his business. G paused, watching your expression for a moment longer before shrugging.

"Mm, what about everyone else?" It took you a second to realise he'd reverted to continuing the previous topic of the conversation. 

You thought for a moment, working out who you had and hadn't spoken about yet. "Blue and Creampuff-"

"-Creampuff?"

"Original Papyrus." G nodded in understanding. "Those two are harmless- though I haven't known 'em  
very long. Edge is an arsehat and Black is too. Razz is good company."

This time G didn't pry any further in your opinions of the mentioned skeletons, merely waiting patiently for you to continue.  
"Whatta bout Axe and Crooks?"

You tried to hide the way you lit up at the mention of your favourite skeletons. You'd like to say you'd succeeded, but considering how closely this guy was watching you, you weren't entirely sure. "Paps is the coolest- you'll like him." You felt like those few fleeting words weren't enough to properly convey just how you truly felt for Papyrus, you could only hope that it got your conviction across.

G seemed to pause, mind churning until realisation visibly occurred to him. "He's...They're your version, huh?"

You shrugged. "Mine." You kind of liked the way confirming that they were yours sounded on your tongue. 

G fell silent, inspecting you for a moment longer, no doubt thinking about your relation to both Sans and Papyrus. Admittedly, you weren't as roughed up as the other two were, not from what was currently visible, anyhow. "Haven't talked to Axe yet, but Crooks seems alright," G informed you after taking a few moments to consider something. He didn't seem particularly surprised, or behave in a manner any differently from beforehand, so after a few seconds of studying the skeleton in front of you, you moved on.

"You'll like Sans," you started, "But only if he likes you."

"Don't have any tips for me then, do ya darl'?" G mused in attempts to make light conversation. Your lips twitched in slight amusement.

"Yeah- _don't waste anything._ " G's yellow eye-lights moved to meet yours, slightly startled at your sudden darker pitch.

"Don't waste?" He confirmed with a raised bone-brow.

"Your food," you clarified. "Don't ever waste anything you eat."

It was obvious G wasn't entirely sure what to think of your little piece of advice, but accepted it nonetheless. He nodded, "Noted." You relaxed a little upon his confirmation of your warning. Both you and Paps had a problem with wasting food, but unlike Sans, you could forgive someone for wasting something if they didn't know. "What about you?"

You'd be lying if you said you weren't slightly shocked by his question. You met G's gaze curiously and you could tell from the way he looked at you he was still piecing together what to think of you.  
"Dunno," you shrugged, "Depends if you piss me off or not."

G chuckled at your remark, the suddenness of a good laugh bringing back a more casual mood rather than the heavier one from before. "Huh, don't know about you, but you strike me as someone rather cute when they're all fired up."

Your eyes widened- surprised. It took you a few seconds to process his words, before your grin curled into something sinister. "Trust me, _buddy,_ the last thing I am is **cute.** "

A smirk pulled at the ends of G's teeth as he pushed himself forward from the railing, taking a single, bold step forward to bend over and stare you in the eye from your spot sitting on the deck's couch, only further adding to the irritation sparking in your chest. "Heheh... Like I said...cute."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MC's first proper conversation with one of the newest arrivals- G!
> 
> (please let me know if at any point in the story if you feel as if G or Green are acting a bit OOC, once again, I'm not as confident writing them as I am some of the others)
> 
> Thank you everybody who commented about G!Sans and Papyrus, it definitely helped a lot!
> 
> Also, I now have a Tumblr account for this story! (Yay?!)
> 
> Here's the link: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/sh33tmedead336
> 
> Over there you can ask me any questions you have about the story and such, and i'll do my best to answer everything without giving too much away!
> 
> By the way G totally likes MC and they'll definitely be friends. 


	29. SUNFLOWERS

“Wowie…There Are So Many Humans….”

You glanced over to Papyrus who was nervously walking beside you and Sans. His sockets shot left and right over the faces of passing humans while anxiously twiddling his fingers. Sans immediately picked up on his behaviour and slipped his hand into his brothers, causing Papyrus’ smile to stretch wider, rolling his shoulders with newfound confidence.  
The three of you were outside again, amongst the streets of the city. You lingered a few metres behind Stretch, who’d occasionally throw glances over his shoulders to see what the three of you were up too as he purposeless led you aimlessly through the less populated streets. There were a few people sprinkled around the area, a fair few more than you’d seen the last few times the three of you went out with Stretch. You figured he’d been getting more confident with having you around more populated areas.  
You aren’t entirely sure if that was a good call on his part.

Sans’ free hand twitched, snaking up his torso to yank at his socket whenever his brother wasn’t looking his way. Both brothers were equally as anxious as the other being around so many people, humans especially. They both had grown so comfortable that they’d stopped acknowledging you for your species and as simply as ‘Y/n’. When they looked at you, they saw _you_ not your species. Everyone around them, however, they recognised not as people, but merely 'humans', and from the looks spread across their expressions- food.

Papyrus would try to meet the passing human’s frightful gazes with nervous smiles only to be shut down by their unfriendly scowls. You frowned at each and every one of them, warning flashing in your eyes as you passed them with bared teeth. You had a feeling Sans would have done much worse if it weren't for Papyrus' hand wrapped in his keeping him grounded. Out of the three of you it was definitely Sans that the underground took the biggest toll on.  
You weren’t surprised. He was always the one who took the brunt of the suffering, taking cuts from his own diet to give to you and Paps whenever there wasn’t enough, handling the worse jobs and keeping Undick at bay. He liked to play apathetic about most things, but in reality, he cared more then he liked to let on.

“Paps,” you drew the taller skeleton’s attention from the frightened humans shuffling around your group. It’d get to him if he focused on them for too long. Papyrus had always been the most sensitive of the three of you. All he ever wanted was to be loved and accepted but it seemed people only ever gave him the opposite. A terrible feeling sunk in your stomach whenever you had to watch the usually positive skeleton frown. You’d do anything to avoid it. You nodded over to the passing stores, “Where’d you want to go?”

Papyrus face lit up, any previous thoughts and feelings forgotten, much to your pleasure. “Oh!” He glanced over eagerly to the store’s windows, admiring fine materials of clothing hung on racks and other trinkets of all shapes of sizes. His smile seemed to stretch wider as he observed the full range of all there was to choose from. “There Are Too Many! How Am I Supposed To Choose!?”

Warily, Sans’ skull shifted to glance up at his brother, a grin widening at the edges of his teeth, his swollen red eye-light resting on his brother’s gleeful expression. “Just choose the one you want to go to most now,” you shrugged, “we can come back and visit the rest another time.”

“All Of Them?”

“All of them.”

Excitement flashed in Papyrus’ sockets as he critically analysed each passing shop in search for the best one. You noticed Stretch’s skull peeked backwards, momentarily locking with your own gaze as Papyrus hummed happily to himself. In the brief sharing of eye contact you didn’t pick up on any particular expression on his face before he turned back around. Considering his lax stance and lazily grin one would think he’d be more friendly then he was towards the three of you. Perhaps he really was friendly, just not with you. He seemed on well enough terms with Red and Mutt, you wondered if he was like this with them when he first met them too.  
Stretch wasn’t necessarily mean, or nearly as big of an Arse as Classic, he was mostly just standoffish- suspicious. You weren’t entirely sure if you blamed him in that regard. You don’t know if you would trust yourself either. You don’t know if you can even trust yourself now.

A sharp inhale caught both yours and Sans’ attention, the both of you falling to a halt and twisting your heads to face Papyrus. The tall skeleton spun on the heels of his worn red boots to face a quaintly decorated store painted in pretty colours. “A Flower Shop?!”  
You watched with mild amusement at Papyrus’ excitement as he twisted his skull to face you, “Y/n! You Hadn’t Told Me There Were Stores On The Surface That Sold Plants!”

“I be _leaf_ it was because you never asked, Paps.” Papyrus’ sockets widened before he squinted over at his brother sternly, resting his fists on his hips. Sans sheepishly grinned at his brother, holding his gaze but opting to say nothing else.

“SANS!” Sans’ chuckling increased in volume, however slight. A deep exhale on Papyrus’ part caused him to roll his sockets before his gaze shifted to meet yours, his grin curling at the edges. “Y/n, Can We Go Inside?”

You raised your eyebrows in surprise. Papyrus waited patiently for you reply, allowing you to formulate a proper response. “Paps…you don’t gotta ask me. Go ahead, we’ll be right behind ya.”

Papyrus gave you a confident nod, pleased, before spinning on his heel to head inside. Sans’ gaze shifted over to you, waiting for you before entering. You turned to find Stretch slowly shrinking in the distance, obviously decreasing the amount of times he checked up on you after that brief, awkward eye contact exchanged between the two of you.

Frowning, you opted to yell after him, despite not wishing to draw attention to yourself or Sans. “Stretch!” From inside Papyrus was visible, currently uninterrupted in his inspection of a bouquet of roses, Sans eyed Papyrus warily through the glass, obviously uncomfortable with being so far apart out in public. Your frown deepened as you found Stretch didn’t even flinch in the distance. You guess you were going to have to go and run after him.

“Hold up,” you informed Sans, twisting around to head after Stretch only momentarily hesitating. “You can go inside, if you want.”  
Sans’ shook his head, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I’m waiting.”

You grinned over at him before jumping into a quick pace to give chase after the Skeleton draped in orange. You dodged and weaved between people in your path, brushing shoulders with the occasional human, sending uncomfortable tingles down your arm. “Stretch!” You gritted out loudly through your teeth as you gained distance between you and the skeleton. This time, much to your relief, he halted and glance over his shoulder. You watched with slight amusement as the Skeleton stiffened, eyes locating your own but not Papyrus’ nor Sans’.

Immediately he spun around to close the distance between the two of you, “Where’d they go?” He questioned upon stopping directly in front of your feet. You noticed the slight look of anxiousness cross his face, a sinister grin of your own curling on your lips. You shrugged.  
Stretch met your gaze sceptically, “I’m not messin’ around with ya kid’- where are they?”

You raised an amused eyebrow at the lanky monster, “Thought they were with you,” you grinned. Your lack of helpfulness was getting Stretch irritated and fast, much to your pleasure as you searched his expression with calculative eyes.

Stretch’s gaze swept over the street a few times before he relented, his burnt orange eye-lights dropping to lock eyes with you. Honestly, you were a little surprised he couldn't find Sans, considering he should just be waiting outside the shops door, then again, that was about a kilometre back. You could see on his face that he realised stressing out and getting upset wasn’t going to get you to help him. Your smirk tugged at the edges.  
Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Do you know where they are?” You considered shrugging but figured you didn’t want to push your luck. If you acted up too much, he could just refuse to supervise you.  
….  
Actually, perhaps that was a good thing. Maybe Creampuff could come with you instead. Unfortunately, your body had already made up it’s mind in order to keep the conversation flowing, a sharp nod on your part confirming Stretch’s question.  
Visibly, Stretch relaxed, however slightly, tension still remaining in his posture. "Good. You guys choose a store to go in yet?"

"Yeah."

Stretch gave you a pointed a look. "What one?"

"Guess." Your grin curled wider at the edges at his frustration. Good. Now he knows what it's like to be the one who's not in control. 

Stretch sighed, tucking his hands in the shared pocket of his hoodie to run his gaze over the store, "Lets see..." You were pleased to find him playing along with your little game, staring up at the skeleton expectantly. "Heh.. Knowing you guys, probably somewhere there's food."

You quirked an eyebrow, "Good guess," you commended. That would easily have been the second option if not for the Flower store, "Try again."

"...You really like testing people's patience, don't ya kid?" You grinned smugly, tucking your hands away in your pockets, eyes occasionally flickering over to a passing human. "C'mon, have mercy on a monster."

"Mercy's not an option, buddy." Your grin wavered. 

"That sounds a little murder-y," this time it was Stretch's turn to quirk an eyebrow at you in challenge. While he wasn't being openly aggressive, you would watch his gaze flicker warily from you to over your head to search for the missing skeletons. "C'mon, I'm not gonna run around lookin' for them."

You were considering relenting at this point, purely as you didn't see this conversation going all too well if you kept pushing too much. "Well, maybe you'd have an idea if you knew us better."

"Kid, you can't expect me to know you three. We don't exactly interact all that much."

Your grin widened impossibly wide, pleased that he'd walked straight into what you were setting up. "So you admit you don't know us, yet you've already made your judgement?"

Stretch fell silent, sockets widening in surprise. You were glad to find realisation flashing across his expression. The conversation between you stopped for a few awkward moments, before a sigh escaped your lips. "C'mon," you spun around on your heel, "They're in the Flower shop. Paps' loves flowers."

Hesitating a mere second, Stretch awkwardly shuffled beside you with his head down, staring intently at the pavement below his feet. You threw him a glance from the corner of your eye as you walked until you made it back to the store, Sans' eventually re-entering eyeshot. The skeleton in blue visibly relaxed, gaze flickering to the taller skeleton by your side momentarily before resting on you. 

"How's Paps'?"

"Still inside."

Stretch broke out of his trance at the sound of Sans' gruff murmur, skull raising to lock eyes with the shorter skeleton in his way. He didn't say anything, merely maintaining a calm stare with Sans' cold one. You watched the exchange briefly, before glancing over at Papyrus raising a tulip to his face to smell it. A calm smile tugging at the edges of your lips you distract the two skeletons from their staring by pushing open the glass door, a bell chiming throughout the quaint little shop.

Papyrus, much taller than the aisle shelves, peaked his skull up and over one to see who had entered, his grin widening upon locking eyes with you. "Oh, Y/n! Come Look At These Flowers!"

You heard both Sans' and Stretch enter behind you. While Stretch hung to the back of the store by the door, Sans' shuffled by your side until the two of you brushed arms. Papyrus was quick to shuffle out of the way to eagerly display the flowers to you, in which you grinned and listened just as eagerly as he felt. His happiness truly was infectious. 

"Aren't They Pretty?"

You glanced up to Papyrus, who grinned warmly down at you. "Very."

Papyrus fell into a warm, comfortable silence as he fiddled with the petals of the flowers with the ends of his fingers, frowning for a split second when he accidently plucks one from the flower. The store was mostly empty other than the employee manning the counter and another stranger idly inspecting bouquets of flowers. It smelt relatively sweet in the room and with nothing but the wind chimes by the window ringing it was rather peaceful. You were thankful for the few moments of mundane contentment, by the ones you cared for most. Now if only you could ignore the cashier's glaring. 

Twisting your head over your shoulder you threw them a icy glare, warning flashing in your eyes. The cashier's eyes widened in temporary surprise before narrowing, scowling as they eyed Sans and Papyrus in disgust.  
Filthy Racist. 

"Y/n!" Papyrus calling your name brought you back to earth. You turned back around to find him further down the aisle, beckoning you towards him. Shuffling in his direction with Sans dawdling right behind you, Papyrus watched you approach with warmth in his sockets. 

"Yeah Paps?" Papyrus merely grinned, twisting to face one of the bouquets and reached over to pluck a particularly pretty one from the bunch. You watched interestedly as Papyrus brought it up to his skull to smell the flower, before reaching out towards you.

"A Frangipani," Papyrus explained, one of his gloved fingers cupping the side of your face to tilt it upwards, before he tenderly tucked one behind your ear. "I Do Believe Putting Flowers In Your Hair Is A Surface Trend?"

You were silent, staring up in awe at Papyrus' wide socketed innocent expression, before grinning incredibly wide. "Uh, yeah. Thanks, Paps'."

The warmth across Papyrus' expression seemed to intensify as he grinned gleefully down at you. "Oh, Doesn't She Look Simply Captivating Brother?"

"...Heh, no bones about it bro'," Your gaze shifted from Papyrus to Sans to give him an amused glare. All he merely did was fixate his gaze on you as the red orb glowing in his socket began to swell further, a devilish grin sharpening across his features as his brother huffed at the bad joke. 

You weren't too concerned about whatever Stretch was up to, or where he was, instead you merely minded your own business with the only people that concerned you. Your eyes fell to the bouquets of flowers as Papyrus began to rant to Sans about his poor taste in humour, your previous grinning gradually slipping from your lips.  
Right. You couldn't afford any of this. 

A reminder of just how completely reliant you were on Classic hit you straight in the face. You didn't have any money, no way to support yourself or your skeletons. Disappointment casually hooked itself around your shoulders. You couldn't even afford to buy Papyrus some flowers. 

You really needed to get around to changing that.

"Excuse me."

You froze, before all three of you twisted in a way so that you could face the newcomer. As soon as your eyes locked with theirs your stare went cold. 

"What?" Sans' spat, his eye light shrinking as he focused in on their expression. 

The blonde's eyes flickered over to Sans, momentarily wary before they shifted back towards your own. A scowl tugged at the ends of your lips. The couldn't even look them in the socket huh?  
Not worth your time.

Clearing their thought they clasped their hands in front of them, smiling at you politely. "Miss, are you and your....companions going to buy something, if not, I'll have to ask the three of you to leave." Your eyes furrowed at her words, teeth gritting as your gaze hardened. She continued, unfazed. "We can't have people, human or...otherwise, taking up space in the shop."

Taking up space huh? That's all you were- all Sans and Papyrus were- _a waste of space?_

"You got a problem with monsters, human?" Ice dripped from the devilish growl escaping Sans' teeth, the employee visibly stiffening.

"L-listen, If you'd read the sign out front, you'd know we have a no monster policy here." The three of you paused, considering the words of the employee. No monster policy huh? What utter bullshit.

Just as you opened your jaw to speak, nails digging into the palms of your hands, Papyrus cut you off. "Now, Human! There Is No Need To Be So Impolite," Papyrus smiled sincerely, clasping his hands similarly to the unfamiliar human, taking a single, confident step forward to address them from closer up. The blonde's nose scrunched up as they warily eyed Papyrus, eyes flickering down to his teeth before their expression twisted into disgust.  
Your stomached lurched, a sudden surge of strength pulsing through your arms and legs as your body twitched with the urge to strangle the human in front of you.  
Papyrus unclasped his hands, stepping to the side so that both Sans and yourself could view the human before Papyrus tenderly took their arm in his hands, as if to observe it.  
"Look, Brother. This One Appears To Be Rather Healthy," he noted happily, tilting his skull to flash his brother a warm smile. 

From behind you Sans paused, before something sinister spread across his teeth. Shuffling forward directly in front of the human, they whimpered under his burning gaze. "H-hey! Let go of me you freaks!" The human in uniform demanded, tugging their arm out of Papyrus' grip, only further widening the grin on Sans' expression.

Ah. You know what you were playing. A smirk of your own pulled against your lips as you decided to go join in on the fun, stepping in the way just as the cashier spun to bolt for it. "You're right bro...." Sans' mused, yanking the human's arm in a much rougher manner than his brother, pulling them further towards him. "Heheh.. not lacking in meat I see."

The three of you chuckled quietly to yourselves as the cashier's eyes flickered around the group, locking with your own. Their green eyes pleaded with you, but you merely grinned unremorsefully in their direction. They really should consider themselves lucky- there wasn't anything you could actually do to them, not out here in public. You were just going to ensure they wouldn't be sleeping easy for the next while. 

"Your Quite Right! How Long Do You Think They'd Last?" Sans shrugged at his brother, his phalanges pinching painfully into the worker's arm, causing them to yelp. 

"Alright! That's enough you freaks! Get the fuck off me!" They hissed, louder than previously. You were surprised Stretch hadn't overhead the commotion and come to stop three of you. Must be outside having a cigarette or something. As for the other human in the store just a few moments ago, conveniently, they'd just gone and entered the bathrooms.  
They were all alone, thrashing in Sans' harsh grasp.

"Plenty to go around," Sans chuckled darkly, his free hand pinching at the humans' side to try and determine how much was there. "I'd say a month or so...if we ate sparingly."

The blonde stopped thrashing, standing stock still in Sans' grip. All of your smiles grew as the human's eyes widened, realisation flashing across their expression. "I- what? N-no! Wait!" Words began to spew from their lips as they thrashed with even more urgency than previously.  
A squeak of a door sounded quietly throughout the room, alerting both yourself and the skeleton brothers, though amidst their panic, it went unnoticed by the employee. As soon as the noise came to your attention Sans dropped the human watching expressionlessly as they fell to their knees in the centre of your group. 

The circular formation having surrounded them dispersed as you and Papyrus moved to stand by Sans' side, watching as the human stumbled to their feet, glaring at the three of you widely and out of breath. "W-what the fuck?" They huffed, taking a few cautionary steps backward as their shoulders heaved, breathing heavily. "F-fucking crazy bastards! I'm calling the fucking cops!" They began to breath widely, stumbling backwards to assumingly go find a phone.

"Hey!"

The three of you stopped your staring to meet the gaze of the person who had disappeared in the bathroom previously. Great, another human. 

"Are they bothering you?" You paused, as did the two skeletons beside you. You eyed the human in front of you curiously as they glared over at the employee leaning against the counter and staring at the other human as if they were crazy. 

You shrugged and the new human shifted their gaze to look over at Papyrus. "It Is Nothing We Cannot Handle Ourselves, Human," he answered the humans' curious expression politely. 

The new human dressed in a simple purple hoodie scowled, twisting on their heel to march up to the other human at the counter. "Hey, arsehole, are you refusing them service just because their monsters?"

….That's not exactly what went down...but none of you were going to say anything. 

"I-I, what?" The employee sputtered nervously. 

"You know what! Shut it!" They spat at the blonde, "I hate racist punks like you!" They turned around, they're gaze immediately softening. "You wanted flowers?" they asked, mostly to Papyrus. Paps hesitated, before a shy but warm grin pulled at his teeth. 

"Why, Yes. Although We Do Not Have Any Money To Buy Anything Anyway-"

"Nonsense!"

Papyrus paused, giving this new, nicer human a quizzical look. The nice human dropped the employee, swiftly moving over to the bouquets by your sides, running their eyes across the options before smiling brightly and picking one up in their hands. "Here- I'll pay."

The three of you observed the bouquet of sunflowers as the human smiled warmly up at Papyrus, tenderly passing it over to him. Papyrus fell quiet, accepting the flowers before grinning excitedly.  
"Are You Sure Human?!"

"Yep!!!"

The nice human spun around to head back over to the fearful cashier who was looking at them as if they had just grown two heads. You remained silent as the nice human paid for everything, scolding the cashier harshly and took care of everything else. 

Honestly, you hadn't expected anyone- let alone a human (despite being one yourself), to step in and help you out. You were pleased to find that even if there were racists on the surface here, you'd still find just as many monster supporters. You and Sans weren't exactly 'people-supporters' in general, but you had to hold some level of respect to those who'd stand up against that kind of discrimination. 

"I'm so sorry that had to happen to you guys," the human smiled meaningfully at the three of you, eyes shifting to meet all three of yours to include everyone in their statement. 

"Do Not Worry Human, It Was Not Your Fault!"

The humans grin widened. "Heh, yeah." They offered their hand to Papyrus, to which he hesitantly took. "I'm only in the city for the weekend but...The name's Lexi. I'm glad I could help you guys out in any way I could."

You were hesitant to do so, still wary of this human, but a smile of your own began to tug at the edges of your lips. The exchange between Lexi and Papyrus (seeing as Sans and you mostly just stared at this human warily) was brief before the human departed, waving at the three of you as the chime rung as the door swung shut behind them. 

Conveniently, at that very time Stretch decided to reappear, stomping out a cigarette with his shoe before slinking back inside. He eyed the three of you, as if he knew something had happened. "...You guys ready to go?"

….

Papyrus smiled down at his sunflowers, tucking them safely under his arm. "Indeed!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe now that there isn't any visible text in the notes people will start to catch on :/ lol. Sunflowers are Papyrus' new favourite flower. 


	30. AFTER BEDTIME

Heck. Yes. 

Your eyes widen as they locate the small plastic container filled with the sweet and plump cherry red berries. No sooner does your arm dive into the fridge, knocking over everything in it's way to violently claim the bite sized fruit.  
Cherries. There were cherries in the fridge. It wasn't even cherry season, yet here they were. No doubt would they have been expensive considering they would have been imported in from somewhere warmer, but goddamn. You hadn't had the delectable fruit in so long. There was no passing up this opportunity. 

Ripping open the clear packaging you immediately plucked the fattest, ripest berry out of the carton and forced it past your lips. The intoxicating sweetness overwhelmed your senses as you rolled the cherry pip around your tongue before crushing it with your back teeth to eat the seed too. While the seed certainly didn't taste amazing, the rest of the cherry made up for it. Seed or not, you weren't wasting it if you could help it. 

Silently, you stood in front of the open fridge to quietly appreciate the food you were snacking on. There was plenty of other food in the fridge, in fact despite the large number of people that snacked from it's contents, the fridge never seemed to ever go empty. You don't know how you'd react to pulling open the fridge door just to find it empty- finding the cupboards empty. How you'd react to realising there was no food in the house.  
You didn't want to think about it. 

Instead you threw back more cherries, pulp, stem and all. If it didn't kill you- it could be eaten. That was something you'd learnt back from the underground. You shifted weight from foot to foot as you munched on your snack for a few pleasant moments, before deciding to go seek somewhere comfortable to enjoy your food. 

It was a Monday evening, dinner had already come and passed and the sun would have fallen behind the mountain's edge circling Ebott city within the next hour. It wasn't quite sunset, though you imagined your boys would be meeting you outside on the back deck very soon to watch the sun fall. It was a pleasant little routine you and your skeletons shared, something to look forward to each day and to motivate you to get out of bed. It was a quite simple activity yet it was one all three of you valued immensely. 

As such, you swung the fridge door back shut as to preserve the food within and begun to shuffle out of the kitchen. From a story above you shouting could be heard, muffled through the room as several of the skeletons living within the household locked themselves up in the game room to play super smash bros.  
You'd heard of the game though had never played the game yourself. You weren't entirely sure what to expect, but from the aggressive screaming echoing throughout the house you imagined it was intense. 

Focused on trying to make out intelligible sentences from all the yelling, you almost completely walked straight past the study room. Usually you wouldn't have much interest in the room, it had a few bookshelves pushed up against the walls, a desk, a PC and all the usual equipment found in a public study room, though this time you couldn't help but noticed from behind the semi-open door who was inside.  
Classic- who didn't interest you, as this would be far from the first time you'd past by here to find him inside, though Frisk, however, intrigued you.  
You certainly hadn't heard of any visit from Toriel or her children- not that anyone here informed you of anything anyway. You didn't really think all too much of the scene, though you squinted your eyes suspiciously at the two as they hovered together closely, hushedly arguing with each other. Where was Toriel and Chara? Your eyes paused on the scene long enough to notice that while Classic was doing most of the talking, both seemed quite frustrated. 

That was...strange. Frustration like the one spread across Frisk's face wasn't something you were familiar with. It wasn't just usual annoyance that everyone experienced...it seemed...angrier? More desperate? Pleading? 

You quickly lost interest, shrugging to yourself as you continued, the previous scene proving to last simply as a fleeting thought. As you pulled open the glass door to shuffle onto the back veranda you usually liked hanging out on, you were met with a cold breeze and you paused, idly wondering just what month it was. You moved to find your favourite cushioned back-deck couch, sinking into the plush pillows, slightly disorientated only now having realised you had no real idea what the date was. You just never bothered to ask, too caught up coping with being on the surface to really think about it. 

Humming to yourself as you savoured the sweet taste of the cherries before your nose would scrunch up at the bitter taste of the seeds only to repeat the cycle over again, you came to noticed you weren't alone outside. Out swinging on the monkey bars of the obstacle course you and Blue had sloppily knocked up (not that you weren't pleased with it) was Creampuff, grinning with determination as he raced through the course with both inhuman grace and ease. 

Though it didn't really matter all too much to you if people actually liked the course you built, there was a small part of you that was glad to see that people were making use of your hard work. You were curious as to why Creampuff was out training at this hour, but then again you found a lot of the younger-brother personalities were quite spontaneous. Even back in the underground, back before you moved in with the skeleton brothers, Papyrus liked to whisk you off to his newest puzzle, and after you moved in he'd take you out of the house whenever he deemed it safe to show you the best spots in Snowdin. The adventurous type, they were. 

Creampuff apparently didn't notice your presence until his two boots hit the ground firmly. He dusted off his hands and grinned to himself proudly, spinning on his heels to assumingly rerun the course only to stop dead in his tracks. His grin grew as his sockets found you, pausing momentarily before confidently striding in your direction. 

"Human!"

"Creampuff," you greeted, accidently swallowing one of the cherry pits whole. The skeleton moved swiftly until he was right in front of you, resting his hands on his hips. 

"I'm Glad To See You! It Feels As If I Hadn't Seen You All Weekend Future-Human-Best-Friend!" You quirked an eyebrow at the skeleton. He was still going on about the whole befriending you thing? You had nothing against him but....

"We didn't really hang out at all so..." you shrugged. It did feel that way, but only because the only time you spent in his company was brief. 

"Ah, You're Right, Human," Creampuff scrunched up his bone brows to contemplate this sudden realisation. "Well, This Can't Do! Human! We! Must! Hang! Out!" 

You were a little taken aback by his eagerness. Sure, your Papyrus was a ball of energy a lot of the time, but Creampuff was on another level. "Sure." You threw another cherry behind your lips and Papyrus seemed to watch you curiously, concern flashing in his sockets as the muffled sound of the crunch of the cherry pit could be heard. 

"....Human...." He began, watching you throw back another cherry warily. 

"Yah?" 

"I Do Not Think....That Humans Are Supposed To Eat The Seeds Within Cherries...." You shrugged, further adding to the concern painted across his expression. You patted the seat beside you to invite the lively skeleton to take a seat as your neck begun to ache from looking so far up from where you were sitting. Hesitantly he took a seat beside you, twisting his torso to face you. "You Do Realise That The Pits Within Cherries Are Not Very Healthy For Your Sensitive Human Bodies?"

You paused, eyes shifted to meet Creampuffs sockets to shoot him a curious look. "Why'd you say that?"

"Oh! Frisk Was Telling Me All About The Fruits Of The Surface, And After Having Tried Cherries Myself, They Told Me That Eating The Little Seeds Within Them Were Potentially Harmful!" Harmful? "Something About... 'Cyanide'???"

You froze, staring blankly over at the skeleton across you. Shrugging you proceeded to munch on another cherry, evoking a dramatic sigh from the skeleton, a grin curling across your lips in response. "I'll take my chances."

Creampuff merely continued to warily eye your moments whenever you moved to push another cherry past your lips. It was funny how quickly he was to be concerned over your wellbeing. It was similar to your own Papyrus, except more innocent, naïve. You knew that the skeleton in front of you was no child, but there was a child like air around him, one that would be easy for one to fall into and forget all of the worlds problems. That was the thing about people like Papyrus and Creampuff, their happiness was infectious. Creampuff was...good company. Yeah. You think you like Creampuff. He's cool. 

Your hand paused it's searching within the carton to scoop another berry into it's grasp as you locked eyes with the skeleton in front of you. Creampuff was cool. Should you...?

"Do you want one?" Before you could stop yourself your arm had stretched out to fill the distance between you to hold out the carton of cherries, staring up to Creampuff expectantly. At first, he looked surprised, before his grinned reappeared in full force. 

"Gasp! A Gift?!?! Human! Is This A.... Offer Of Friendship?" 

You hesitated, slightly put off. A gift? That's not what you'd call it but you shrugged anyway. "Sure." 

Creampuff looked ecstatic to finally be your friend, cupping the sides of his face with his gloved hands to stare at you in awe. "Wowie! I'm So Glad!" You hid your grin behind a scoff, turning away from his happy grin.

"Well, do you want one or not?" You questioned slightly sterner then previously, still avoiding the skeletons eye-lights sheepishly. 

"Oh! Of Course!" Creampuff modestly only took a few, holding the cherries in his hand like a bowl and putting them past his teeth, stem and all. 

You raised an eyebrow over at him, resting the carton of cherries in your lap. "Weren't you just talking about cherry pits being dangerous?"

"Why Yes, Although I Am Not A Human."

Fair point.

The two of you fell into a companionable silence as you twisted back around to stare out into the fading blues of the sky. Creampuff seemed perfectly happy just sitting beside you and doing the same thing, accepting more cherries whenever you offered some to him. 

"Did You..." You were brought out of the trance you'd fallen in as you stared up at the sky and merely focusing on your own breathing. You twisted your head to face Creampuff curiously, did you what? "Did You Miss Cherries?"

Miss cherries?-

"-Back Underground?"

Your body stilled in shock. You met Creampuffs nervous gaze with wide eyes, hands clenching tightly around the cherries resting in your palm until the juice began to run down your arm. 

"I Um," Creampuff tried to backtrack at your negative reaction, guilt flashing across his expression, "I-I, Never Mind Human! You Do Not Need To Answer That-"

"Yes." You replied firmly, cutting him off as he went silent in surprise. His gaze settled on you, equally as curious as guilty. You could tell he wasn't trying to make you uncomfortable, he was simply curious. Simply wanted to understand what it was like for you back.... _there._  
"I missed food in general. We had nothing. We'd've eaten anything."

That wasn't a lie and you had no doubt that the skeleton beside you had no idea just how serious you were. 

Creampuff fell silent sorrowfully. Your gaze flickered over to him, watching his expressions change and morph with his thoughts. He felt bad. Guilty over something that was entirely not his fault. That was the problem with people like him- like Papyrus.  
They were too good for the world around them. 

"Don't feel bad."

Creampuff paused, his sockets shifting to meet the side of your face warily as you stared out blankly into the distance. 

"Don't ever feel bad for something that isn't your fault." This time you shifted your head to meet his gaze, in which he met curiously, nodding after a few hesitant moments at your advice. Once again the two of you fell silent, though this time was hardly as comfortable as last time. 

"Human?"

You gave Creampuff a curious look. 

"I Think Perhaps...My Brother Was Wrong About You."

You froze. Classic? What had he told Creampuff? You squinted over at the skeleton beside you, both suspicious and intrigued. 

"Sans... He, Doesn't Cope With Change Well," Creampuff started, choosing his words carefully. "I Think He Perhaps Was Just Afraid."

"Afraid?" Of what? He wasn't afraid of you was he? Sure, you'd attacked him but you certainly hadn't actually hurt him in any way. The guy is surrounded with people on his side, you couldn't lay a finger on him if you tried. 

"Of What He Sees In You. In Crooks And Axe." Your breath caught in your throat. "I Think He Was Just Afraid That Something Like What Has Happened To You Could Happen To Me- To Us."

You stared. You searched Creampuffs expression deeply, but only found raw sincerity and honesty. This side of Creampuff that he was displaying too you, a more mature, wiser side, seemed eerily similar to how you knew your Papyrus could get. The longer you stared the more you found the similarities between the two. Heh. They really were alternate versions of themselves, weren't they?

Eventually Creampuff had to leave, explaining he had planned to go and do something with Blueberry at this hour, before wishing you goodnight. Though as he left you found you had a new found respect for the skeleton. Though while you didn't exactly regard him as highly as your Sans and Papyrus, you came to find there was a lot more depth behind that skeleton than what meets the eye. He was a good person- someone worth your time. 

You found yourself oddly energised after that conversation, a small smile resting on your lips as you were left to your thoughts out on the veranda waiting patiently for your boys to come join you. The baby blue of the sky was painted over with gold and orange hues as the sun began it's decent. The temperature noticeably began to drop, the cool air wrapping around your body like a blanket, only for a significantly warmer, much more real blanket to drop across your lap.  
Your heart skipped a beat in surprise, only for you to tilt your head up to find Sans standing behind the couch, his hands tucked into his pockets as he grinned down at you.

A toothy grin of your own was enough thanks for Sans as he shuffled around to fall back into the seat beside you, getting cosy as you threw the blanket over both you and Sans, leaving enough for Paps when he got here. Sans pressed his side against yours, making sure to lean his axe against the couch by his feet as he did so. No sooner did the glass door slide open yet again, the two of you twisting around to grin welcomingly over to Papyrus, who returned the favour.

The three of you sat close to each other, exchanging warmth, more for your sake then anything. The two skeletons might be very different biologically then yourself, but they were very conscious of your needs as both a person and a human. They kept you safe, they kept you warm, and most importantly, they kept you fed.  
And in return, you'd do everything you humanly could to return the favour.

"Do You Think The Human City Is As Quiet As This?" You paused, attention shifting over to Paps, who stared curiously out into sky, watching the sinking sun with content. 

Sans didn't answer, you couldn't blame him- he didn't know. He couldn't know. So you answered instead, "Nah. There's always people up at every hour in cities."

Papyrus' sockets shifted to meet yous, giving you an inquisitive look. "I May Know Little About Humans, However, I Am Aware Of Their Need To Sleep."

You chuckled, "Guess they just don't want to go to bed just yet." 

Papyrus' gaze lingered on you, a question burning in his mind. "And... What If I Do Not Wish To Go To Bed Just Yet?" 

This time both you and Sans twisted to give Papyrus a curious look, no sooner did a mischievous grin pull at your lips. "Well, your an adult, you can go to bed whenever you want."

Sans, seemingly having caught on, grinned widely, "Heh, ya'know, 'm not feelin' particularly tired..." The three of you grinned at each others approval. "I think it's time we checked out the city ourselves, aye Pap?"

"Why Yes! That Is A Wonderful Idea Brother!" Sans' grin grew warmer at his brothers own grin. He shifted in his spot to slink off the couch, scooping up his axe to lug it over his shoulder before twisting to stare at the both of you warmly with his bloated red orb penetrating the gradually growing darkness. The both of you stared at him through the shadows of the twilight expectantly. 

"C'mon," he grinned widely as his brother stood to take his side, offering his free hand to you eagerly. 

\--------

It was... unbelievably easy, escaping the household without being caught. The three of you most literally just walked out the front door. It wasn't like anyone was around to stop you.  
None of you had any real idea where you were going or what you were going to do, but each of yours souls thrummed eagerly to escape Classic's overbearing rules placed on the three of you. 

With Sans' phalanges still entwined with yours the three of you ducked into the bush, using the forest as cover as you travelled to the inner city with Papyrus happily marching beside you. Papyrus mostly led, directing you and Sans of where to turn and when to keep going, avoiding on coming traffic on the road a few feet away from where you were in the outskirts of the forest. 

The further the three of you ventured the noisier it got, the stars from the sky vanishing behind the light pollution of the city. As you hit the end of the forest, you were forced to enter the mostly quiet streets of the city lingering under gradually growing buildings until you entered the more lively side of the city. 

The three of you kept to yourselves, Papyrus lingering closer to yourself and upon the first drunken voice echoing down the street you were tugged into Sans' side where he protectively held you.  
None of you were scared, anxious, perhaps, but that was only to be expected with new experiences. The lights of apartments and flashing neon's glowing outside of bars lit up the streets. Groups of friends would laugh amongst themselves, some tugging on another's hand, others swatting and bumping into each other playfully as they grinned widely.  
There was something awfully mundane about walking down the streets of the city at night. It'd been so long since it'd been safe enough to walk out in public during the night...it was...exhilarating. 

You sunk into Sans' firm grip keeping you pulled against his side, eventually reaching out to tug Papyrus by his hand to bring him closer as well. Your group took to the shadows, trying to hide as much of you as possible, but occasionally someone would dare look your way, jumping in their spot and quickly walking the other way frightfully.  
The only real advantage you could think of about the crooked shape of Papyrus' teeth and the gaping hole in Sans' skull was that it kept them safe. No sane person would try to mess with them- not at this hour. Not even a filthy racist would dare shoot them a bad look. 

….You felt safe. Squished between Sans and Papyrus, you knew nothing could ever touch you. Whoever tried would be on their knees before they could even get ten metres from you. You could only hope your boys felt the same way. 

That night the three of you didn't go anywhere in particular, didn't stop to talk to anyone or even glance that way. No, you merely enjoyed each others company and the city around you. It was a refreshing reminder that you were on the surface, that you wouldn't ever be going back to that hellish place.  
Yeah. You could live like this. You'd take the good and the bad, If it meant having more moments like this then you couldn't complain. You were happy. 

They were happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY.  
> SO UH, SOMEBODY ABSOLUTELY AMAZING MADE ME SOME FANART.
> 
> Thelexinomicon made two stunning works and you HAVE to check them out:  
> https://www.deviantart.com/thelexinomicon/art/Skeleton-Cuddle-Flat-Color--814765127  
> https://www.deviantart.com/thelexinomicon/art/An-Armful-Of-Sunshine-815028214?ga_submit_new=10%3A1569820949
> 
> Make sure to go over there and check them out and support their page!
> 
> Also, we're gonna ignore the fact that apparently ingesting just two cherry pits can kill a person :/  
> As much as i'd like to kill off MC this way, it pushes the story forward too much. Don't worry though, I'll find more angsty ways to pick off your favourite characters =) 


	31. SICKNESS

With a grimace you wiped away the vomit with your sleeve, sinking into the spot between the toilet and the sink, propping your head back onto the wall to stare blankly up at the roof. Goddamn. Maybe Creampuff was right. 

Yeah. You're never eating cherry pits ever again. 

Cold sweat ran down your forehead, your clothing clinging onto your skin. Your stomach ached and you found you were too dizzy to do much of anything. It was just after breakfast and you found you were unable to keep the food down.  
You felt guilty. Really guilty. It was disguising but you couldn't help but feel bad as you threw up all that food- _wasted_ everything.

Breathing heavily you strained to keep your eyes open, darkness spotting at the edges of your vision but you refused to let it take over. You knew you needed to get up, take a cold shower and go back to sleep for a couple hours. It'd been a while since you were sick and it was one of the worst feelings in the world. You hated it. 

With tears prickling in the corner of your eyes you forced yourself up, stomach churning as you stumbled over to your shower, not bothering to close your bathroom door as you held yourself up using the cold tiles making up the walls. You felt weak, limbs trembling as you struggled to undress yourself. With each sudden movement your stomach would twist and clench, choking as you struggled to keep everything down. 

Sloppily you reached out with a hand to hit the cold water handle until the cool liquid splattered down, running down your burning body as you sunk to the floor. Back propped up against the tiles you tilted your head back with closed eyes so the water could cool your burning face, shoulders heaving as you tiredly gasped for air.  
With closed eyes the world was void of light around you, your mind struggling for consciousness as your body pleaded to be put to rest.  
You fought against the temptation as you allowed your body to relax under the cold stream of water, sighing heavily as your stomach began to settle. 

Right now you felt like curling up next to Sans or Papyrus- you knew they would take care of you. But you didn't dare and go disturb them, not only because you were to exhausted to go and seek them out but you didn't want to worry them. In all four years you'd known your boys you'd never been this sick and no doubt did they know little about human illnesses. You didn't want them stressing out over nothing. You'd have to teach them more about human sickness another time, when you weren't the one who was sick. 

After having sat under the cold water for some time, a shiver crawled up your spine and your skin began to prickle. You took that as a sign that you'd been in the shower long enough. Prying open your eyes you threw your graze around, dizzily trying to find ways to motivate yourself to get up.  
It wasn't until a particularly violent shudder crawled across your skin that you finally found the energy within you to pull yourself upwards, turn off the shower and fumble around to find a towel, reasoning that you'd only get more sick if you stayed. 

You half-arsed drying yourself to stumble in your room to force on looser, cleaner clothes before shuffling over and collapsing on your bed. You groaned as you hit your mattress, rolling over until your back hit the cold wall, sighing in relief. The blankets made you too hot but without them you felt freezing, shifting uncomfortably under your sheet with sweat trickling down your neck.  
You really felt absolutely awful. 

It seemed no matter which way you twisted or turned or how many blankets you did or didn't pile on top of yourself you couldn't get comfortable. Breathing heavily you could only hope that Papyrus and Sans didn't decide to come and check up on you while you were sleeping. No doubt would they freak out seeing you like this or at the very least know something was up. You didn't nap during the day unless it was with Sans, that and you were saturated in cold sweat. You could only hope you'd be feeling at least somewhat better by the time you woke up. You prayed to the universe that this sickness would pass as quickly as it came. 

Forcing your eyes shut you zoned out until the only thing you were aware of was your own ragged breathing until you slipped into the warm embrace of unconsciousness. 

It was a restless, dreamless sleep that left you feeling unsettled. The type of sleep where your aware your not awake but not dreaming either, simply left to stare at the darkness of your subconscious. You must have been asleep for hours but they passed in a blink of an eye as you fell further into the depths of your mind.  
And finally, after hours of fading in and out of consciousness, your mind finally relaxed. 

Generally, whenever you would close your eyes you'd find yourself thinking of the underground, whether that be duller moments like scrubbing dust off your hands or happier moments like building puzzles with Papyrus, those moments plagued your mind all the same.  
This time, however, your mind took you further back, before Sans and Papyrus, before the underground.  
You weren't sure if you preferred those memories over the underground. 

There was a younger you, with scrapes and bruises dusting your skin from your constant rough housing and dangerous play. Your eyes, brighter then you remembered them being, reflected in the glass of the bathroom mirror before they shifted to direct your body out of the room. Your higher-pitched voice echoed throughout the house, calling out to your mother to say goodbye as you shrugged on your backpack, slipping out the door and marching over to your friends place. 

You weren't a very tame kid. You were that one kid that always had a band-aid stuck across their cheek and grazed knees. You were the kid that climbed trees and tackled your friends for fun. Those were fun, but lonely years of your life. You never really found people who you could relate to, somebody you could really befriend, somebody to trust.  
You wandered the streets of the city in a group of children your age, you'd grin and laugh but there was always was a sinking, dull feeling in the pit of your stomach. A sense of being lost. You didn't have a purpose and you didn't know what to do with yourself so you instead opted to live life on the edge, to not worry about tomorrow and live each day as if it was your last. 

It was a lifestyle that got you into a lot of trouble, but it was no doubt the type of lifestyle that got you through the underground in the first place. You'd learnt how to adapt on the streets of your city, and you too learnt to adapt underground. 

You remembered your mother, remembered her pearly white teeth and velvet lipstick stains that'd cling to your cheeks. Remembered the toppled hair of your littlest sibling who was a mere tot the last you saw them, remembered your eldest brother who was never around but took you around the city and bought you ice cream whenever you saw him.  
By the time you pried your eyes open you found that it was once again late afternoon, and only one question lingered on your mind. What was your family like here?  
What were _you_ like? 

A groan escaped your lips as you shifted in your bed. You weren't feeling as sick as before, better enough that you could probably get up and walk around a bit. Sleep clung to the edges of your eyes and you rubbed them away with the corner of your fist, yawning loudly before tumbling out of bed.  
The room around you was dark, the last afternoon light peeking through the corners of the curtains and allowing you to see the silhouettes of the room around you. It was stuffy inside and considering how much you were sweating, you probably stunk.  
Taking advantage of the endless water supply you stumbled back into your bathroom to take another shower, taking slow, cautious steps as to not upset your stomach any further.

Unlike your previous shower, this one was more brief, just long enough to cool you down and wipe away any remaining sweat. Sourly you eyed the clothing sprawled across the floor. You'd already gone through two changes of clothing in one day, and this next outfit would be your third. 

Grunting you turned off the tap and took your time getting dressed. You met your own gaze in the mirror, noting their colour. Your eyes were so much duller then they used to be. Before everything. If you looked closely little scars were freckled across your face, near invisible from anywhere but up close. You didn't like looking at yourself. Looking at what you'd become, but with a hardened gaze you forced yourself to keep staring. This was your reality. This was **you.**

This was **you** and you'd learn to love yourself for it just as you'd learnt to love Sans and Papyrus. 

After a few tense moments you pried your eyes away, shuffling out of your room and into the hallway. You'd missed lunch and you felt famished. No doubt would your plate have been wrapped up by the boys and stashed into the fridge for you later on. You looked forward to that theoretical lunch profusely. Hopefully this time you could actually force everything down and keep it down.

Shuffling down stairs into the kitchen, you found preparations for dinner had already started. That was fine, no doubt you'd get hungry in the middle of the night if you kept being sick. You could finish off anything you couldn't eat then. Entering the room, you slouched against the doorframe, receiving a few curious looks. Skeletons such as Edge and Black seemed to appraise you sourly before turning back to what they were doing, with the friendlier skeletons throwing you warm looks.  
From the corner of your eye you watched Creampuff twitch, as if about to walk over to greet you only to unintentionally be beat to it by Papyrus, causing him to hesitate and turn back around to continue dicing vegetables. 

Papyrus grinned fondly down at you with his hands propped up on his hips, allowing you to run your gaze over his particularly bright apron. You merely scoffed in amusement at the cat whiskers printed on the fabric, before shifting your gaze upwards to meet his.  
"Y/n!" He greeted warmly, "Will You Be Aiding Us In The Kitchen Today?"

You paused, before shaking your head 'no'. Papyrus' grin, however slight, wavered. It wasn't out of any real disappointment but rather concern. Ever since you'd first been put on kitchen duty you generally took the chore in stride and helped out most meal times, however no doubt was Papyrus curious as to why he hadn't seen you all day. You paused, your eyes flickering over to the fridge behind him and as if he read your mind he immediately spun around to go and retrieve your no longer theoretical lunch. 

Running his gaze over you in thought whenever he glanced back at you whilst he warmed up your food in the microwave, you felt little beads of nervous sweat form on the back of your neck. You were fine, really. Who would have thought just a couple of cherry pits would make you so sick? You didn't even eat that many, really. When Creampuff had warned you about them being potentially harmful, you merely brushed it off to being something akin to apple seeds. While apple seeds were well known to be harmful, it was only such a case in large amounts. You figured the same was true with Cherries. 

Swallowing acid rising up your throat you did your best to appear nonchalant as you supported your weight against the doorframe. You were fine, you reassured yourself. You just needed to sleep this off. Everything would be fine in the morning. 

Once having heated your meal, he brought it over to you along with cutlery. You flashed Papyrus your best smiled, reaching out and trying desperately to hide the sickly trembling of your body. As your fingers curled around the plate however, you found Papyrus' simply shifted to wrap his phalanges around your own to keep you in place, causing you to move your gaze upwards to meet Papyrus' narrowed one. He squinted at you suspiciously, and while you sweated nervously under his gaze you felt no heat behind his inspection and no firmness behind his grasp. 

"Y/n..." Papyrus started, his squinted sockets still lingering across your features. "What Is Wrong? Who Hurt You?"

Your eyes widened in surprise, it wasn't like that at all, though you could hardly blame the skeleton. He probably would be far from familiar from human sickness. You couldn't even currently see yourself but you had no doubt you looked awful, and from your trembling, possibly even afraid to anyone watching. Temporarily lost to your thoughts you felt yourself be tugged forward by Papyrus' gentle grip. From the kitchen doorway nobody paid either of you any mind but despite Papyrus kept his voice low and soft, as if discussing something with you no one else was allowed to hear. "It Is Alright- You May Tell Me. I'll Take Care Of Everything."

You couldn't help your heart from lodging at Papyrus' protective words. You shifted your eyes away from Papyrus' pleading ones, "No one Paps," you sighed simply. "Just ate something I shouldn't off." Papyrus paused, analysing you for a moment before cocking his head curiously at you. "....'M sick," you mutter warily. 

Immediately Papyrus' sockets widened dramatically, his hands cupping yours never dropping back to his side. "Well! This Cannot Do!" He exclaimed with new found boldness, drawing some attention from the rest of the kitchen inhabitants. Without so much as bothering to glance back at the kitchen and completely abandoning everything he was doing, his hands slipped from your own to instead bring a single arm to rest at the pit of your back to lead you back upstairs and assumingly to your room. 

You threw Papyrus a few glances on the trip back to your room, noting the determined albeit concerned expression resting across his face. Holding your door open for you to allow you to slip inside, he immediately moved to fix your bed sheets, insisting that you sit down and eat before turning to open your window to allow the cool afternoon breeze to escape inside and rid the room of it's previous stuffiness.

You stomach churned as you brought your fork to your lips, both with hunger and sickness. Your gaze hardened as you stared at the pasta. You were going to keep this down. You refused to throw this up too. With new found determination you shovelled the food past your lips at a comfortable rate, finding Papyrus rather pleased to be seeing you eating. Tiredly you watched him from the corner of your gaze as he seemed to contemplate something, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. No sooner had he caught your staring, moving his sockets back to you and his signature sharp edged grin tugging at the edges. 

Gracefully closing the distance Papyrus brought the back of his hand up to rest it on your forehead, frowning at whatever he finds. "This Is How Humans Do It, Do They Not?" Papyrus questioned, to which you sleepily nodded in confirmation. Despite the confirmation on being on the right track, his usual grin didn't return full force as he looked at you, wariness in his sockets. 

"What's up?" You croaked in between the break of moving your fork to your mouth. Papyrus, surprised by the sudden questioned scoffed, seemingly astounded by your audacity to ask such a question. 

"Y/n?! Really?" He questioned you dryly. "Do You Not Think Perhaps It Is I Who Should Be Asking Such Questions?" 

You allowed a toothy grin to spread across your lips, blinking sluggishly at your plate of food, stomach churning uncomfortably as you allowed yourself a break before finishing the rest. 

A sigh escaped Papyrus, concerning you enough to tilt your head on an angle to stare up at the tall skeleton questioningly. "Do You Think...That Perhaps You Will Be Fine Here On Your Own For A Few Moments?"

Without hesitation you nodded, a less nervous smile pulling at Pap's teeth. Tenderly, he brought his hand down to ruffle your hair, reaching over you to prop another pillow behind you so you could comfortably sit up right. 

"Very Well! I Will Be Back In No Time!" He grinned, turning to slip through your bedroom door, "Do Try And Relax!" 

Sinking into your pillows you nodded stiffly, watching Papyrus leave and gently shut your door behind him. Once again your room was silent other than the soft fluttering of the curtain as a cool breeze seeped in from outside. The window hadn't been open long enough for the temperature to drop to an uncomfortable one, allowing you to relax now having found a perfect balance of covering your legs with blankets and allowing the cool breeze to cool your upper body. 

After a few moments of sinking in the silence you sighed, shifting uncomfortably to scoop up another forkful of spaghetti. It wasn't until you'd finished swallowing that forkful did you begin to once again feel woozy, the muscles in your stomach contracting- enough warning to allow you to prepare for what was about to happen next. In a panic you shifted the plate off your lap and stumble out of bed, feet catching the sheets and dragging them with you as you fell to your knees, gagging as your head hovered over your toilet seat. 

It took a few seconds for your brain to piece together from your blurry vision that you were staring down at your own vomit in the toilet. A shameful frown settled on your lips as you guilty eyed all the wasted food. Pulling back from the toilet seat so you didn't have to stare at your stomach's contents, your arm swatted around the toilet until your fingers found the flush button, sending the wasted food spiralling into the underground piping of the city.  
Breathing heavily you shifted, resting your back against the toilet to stare at the wall across from you as your stomach began to settle once again.

God, you were so tired. It hurt to keep your eyes open, a shiver crawling down your spine as you yawned loudly. As If your eyelids had weights attached to them, they began to flutter shut as you struggled to force them open.  
It seemed as if you were just moments away from sleep when cold water began to trickle down your forehead as somebody placed a wet face washer on your head. The water tickled your nose and you found the energy to pry your eyes open, finding Sans' intense gaze mere centimetres away from your own as he crouched down to get a look at you. As your own eyes locked with his gaze, his one working eye light seemed to swell further, expanding as Sans' tightly grinned at you. 

It took you a few seconds to realise he was the one keeping the wet face washer held up on your forehead before realising you had company on your other side as well. You only needed to see the particularly large chip missing underneath their right kneecap to know instantly it was Papyrus.  
Considering how tall he was and how close to the ground you were you didn't bother trying to crane your neck upwards to look up at him, instead glancing over to the only thing that was visible- his legs, and then resting your gaze on Sans. 

Sans' gaze seemed to melt into your own as Papyrus bend down to slip his arms underneath your legs and behind your back, pulling you up into the air and cradling you into his chest as he sturdily carried you back over to bed. You grinned, instantly relaxing upon finding you were in the presence of Sans and Papyrus. You felt awful, but they'd take care of you. 

Sinking back into your bed, you found that Sans and Papyrus had brought their dinner up with them so they could eat here with you. You tried scooching over to allow room for them to sit but Papyrus insisted that you needed to be comfortable and as such, both skeletons suck to the floor with their plates in their lap, staring up at you reassuringly. 

Sans, closer then Papyrus eyed your half-finished plate of food now on your bedside table, before shifting his gaze back on you. "You need to eat."

Your gaze fell from your plate to Sans and you grinned warily. "I keep throwing it back up," you stated shamefully, almost afraid to look Sans in the eye as you said it, only for the skeletons gaze to harden. 

Sans paused, shifted to put his plate beside him before getting up to pick up your plate, forcing it in your lap. "Don't care. You need to eat. You'll feel better afterwards."

You eyed the skeleton warily before moving your gaze over to Papyrus who seemed to agree, though didn't say anything.  
Sighing, you gratefully accepted the plate, slowly forcing down the food, watching as Sans visibly relaxed with each mouthful. It took a while for you to get the full plate down, but Sans was right. You did feel better. Well, as 'better' as you could get when you had some sort of food poisoning (from cherries of all things!!!). 

Once again Sans' sunk back to the floor, only reaching for his plate to continue eating after you had finished yours. This time he sat by the edge of your bed, back resting on your bedside table so that he could see both yourself and Papyrus from his peripheral vision.

Despite the woozy feeling churning in the pit of your stomach you grinned as Sans and Papyrus kept you distracted from feeling sick and instead conversed with you. Even Sans put in more effort then usual to maintain a conversation, and you couldn't help but feel flattered.  
You were quick to grow tired but even after you'd slipped into unconsciousness they both hung around, Papyrus collecting pillows from his and Sans' room to camp by your bed to assist you whenever you needed to quickly get to the toilet to throw up, help you shovel down more food afterwards so that you didn't go hungry and coax you back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so as much as I love the idea of 'death by cherries', unfortunately we can't have another reload so soon in the story I'm afraid :(  
> But don't worry, MC will have her turn. 
> 
> Also, the amazing Lexinomicon made more fanart!  
> Find it right here--->https://www.deviantart.com/thelexinomicon/art/An-Armful-of-Sunshine-Happy-Family-Edition-815272163?ga_submit_new=10%3A1569990217
> 
> There's no need to be curious about this world's MC and her family. Not when they don't exist. 


	32. CHRISTMAS COLOURS

The past two days had been pretty miserable for you. It was a long process of being bed ridden, eating, throwing up, eating again and sleeping, just to repeat the cycle over again. You were endlessly grateful for Sans and Papyrus, who stuck by you the entire time, with only a few teasing comments on the absurdity and grossness of humans and their inner workings. Despite the sweaty, restless sleep you got the past two nights, it was rather comforting to wake up and find your boys with you, ready to aid you in any way they could.

Early morning sometime, perhaps a little after midnight you finally stopping throwing up everything, which was a slight relief, considering Sans had already thrown apart the house looking for medicine though found none seeing as this was a monster household, and had began to contemplate going out to buy you some. With his axe as currency. 

You got a few questions from both Creampuff and Blueberry as to where you'd been the fast two days, though with no reasonable explanation in mind you merely shrugged. Neither had been satisfied with that answer, though neither continued to press on the issue, instead giving you equally curious as concerned expressions. 

Having spent the entire morning with Sans and Papyrus to reassure them that you had entirely recovered, they'd finally been convinced that you were back in shape and as healthy as ever. As such, you found your appetite had returned, twice as large as previously. Straying away from the fruit (specifically the cherries) tucked away in the fridge, you opted for something a little less healthier as you pulled open the cupboard doors in the kitchen. Eyes searching it's contents, you snagged a jumbo sized honey-soy chicken flavoured packet of chips with a satisfied grin. Swinging the cupboard doors shut with your foot, you left in search of something interesting to do as you pulled open the packet with your teeth, hand diving in the plastic packaging to locate what you deemed to be a worthy chip. 

Navigating around the halls of the house of the bottom floor you didn't find anything too interesting. There were a few people lingering in the lounge room, shifting around and seemingly setting something up and you'd briefly walked past both Papyrus and Blueberry as they bounced down the stairs to use the obstacle course out back, waving at you as you passed but other than that you didn't find anything particularly worth your time. 

Ticking off all of the faces you'd passed, you found yourself questioning the ones you didn't find. Particularly G. You didn't exactly see either him or his brother around other then at meal times. Both seemed relatively reserved, mostly keeping to themselves. It was something that reminded you of, well, yourself, and of course your boys. It was easy to isolate yourself when forced to live with strangers- alternate versions of yourself or not. 

With this thought in mind, you had no idea where G would be other than perhaps his room, his brother on the other hand... While the two hadn't talked let alone glanced at each other, a few times in the past few days you'd passed by the sunroom, where you'd open find Green with an open book in his hands. You doubted he noticed you past, and you hadn't bothered to stop to say hi either and as such the two of you were utterly unacquainted.  
Halting in your steps as you headed down the hallway, you spun on your heel with a mouthful of chips to instead journey to the sunroom. With nothing particularly interesting to do, you figured you may as well check this new guy out. G hadn't been hostile (albeit a little roughed up, considering the scars), and as such you took that as a sign that perhaps neither was Green, that and Green was a Papyrus (and not one of those swapped ones) so by the power of deduction, you figured that he couldn't be that bad. 

Passing back past the living room, you found more skeletons has flocked inside (mostly older-brother personality's, from what you could see). Slightly curious you figured you'd simply come back and see what they were doing later on, if they were still there, that was. 

Upon shuffling towards the sunroom, as you'd expected, Green was indeed inside. Standing in the door-less doorway your eyes ran across the room. You'd been in here briefly a few times, merely to sit across one of the mini lounges to stare out into the sky or to browse over the many books bursting in the selves inbuilt in the walls. 

Having not noticed you, Green didn't turn his skull to face you, rather burying his nose(?) in the hard cased leather book in his hands as he sat tucked away in one of the cushioned chairs by one of the windows. It was the crinkle of your hands being forced inside the chip packaging as you grabbed for another handful that alerted him of your presence. Shifting his sockets from his novel up to the doorway, your eyes locked.  
Nonchalantly you ran your eyes over the lanky skeleton sitting upright and proper in his seat, to observe him. 

He didn't seem to object or shift uncomfortably under your gaze, instead waiting patiently for you to finish with his finger wedged in between his book to mark his page. Similarly to how G was taller than most of his counterparts, as was Green. His true height was hidden as he sat, but just like Papyrus, if you were to stand in front of him you'd still be forced to look upwards as he towered over you.  
With no aggressive reaction from the skeleton you hesitantly decided to make your approach, noticing the polite grin pull against the skeletons teeth as you did so. 

"Ah, Good Afternoon, Y/n- I Presume?" Though while his volume was still louder than the average person's, you noted that it was considerably softer than the other louder skeletons you knew. 

You nodded, not entirely sure where he got your name but figured he must of heard it be thrown around at some point. Having assumed you were going to stay for a bit, Green shifted his book, using a ribbon to mark the page before shutting it and resting it beside him. "Green, right?" You confirmed in turn, though quite certain that was what he went by. 

"Indeed," he replied in turn, cupping his hands in his lap. 

"Why 'Green'?" You wondered aloud, well aware you were being nosey. You were never one for small talk with people you didn't know and as such struggled to continue a conversation. The skeleton in front of you seemed relatively quiet and as such you were mostly sure that if you were to not lead the conversation the two of you would fall into silence, left to stare awkwardly at each other. Then again, how were you to know? He may just surprise you. 

"The Colour Of My Magic, Of Course."

You hummed in acknowledgement, "Fair enough." As you were standing two or three feet from the skeleton in front of you, you found you didn't really need to tilt your head upwards to meet his gaze, but shuffling forwards you suspected he just may able to rest his head quite comfortably on yours.  
Damn skeletons and their gigantic height. Papyrus especially. 

After a few moments of silence, you were mildly surprised to find Green being the one to break it. "If You Do Not Mind Me Asking, Which Version Of My Brother And I Are Yours?"

You paused, not because of who they were, but rather because of their nicknames. Not once had you uttered the insults they'd been branded, just the very thought leaving a bad taste on the tip of your tongue. With a frown curling on your lips, you noted that Green seemed to catch on to your hesitation, though you answered before he could say anything else. "They're the tallest ones here," you described, refraining from using their dubbed nicknames. 

Hesitantly, Green began to ask for confirmation, noticing the, perhaps strange, way of answering his question. "Crooks and Axe?"

You merely nodded as Green seemed to consider this. You watched his reaction carefully, but alike his brother, he too didn't seem to have any problems or judgements. "I See... Crooks Has Been Most Welcoming. He Has Mentioned You Previously," you quirked an eyebrow curiously at Green at his admission of this observation, "The Two Of You Are Close, I Assume?"

"Very," you stated, munching away on your chips. Green's gaze flickered down to the packaging in your hands, curiosity flashing in his sockets. 

"How Curious, 'Honey-Soy Chicken'. I Cannot Say I Am Familiar With Such A Flavour." You eyed the skeleton before shrugging, fingers curling around a chip in the packet before promptly throwing it past your lips. It was quite obvious that the skeleton in front of you would like to try some, though was too polite to ask for any.  
Green seemed alright, but quite frankly, you didn't share your food with just anybody. As such, you continued to munch on your chips, staring at Green with mild interest and no intention of offering anything you were eating to him. 

Not put off by this at all, Green's gaze shifted back to you, smile still polite and just as sincere as previously. "Are There Many Other Strange Flavours Of Chips On The Surface?"

"Infinite."

Green seemed equally intrigued as pleased with this confirmation, pondering to himself about something. Your hand dove into the chip packaging as he did so, frowning as your fingers hit the bottom, with no chips in sight. Retrieving the limb you opted to instead suck off the remaining flavour from your fingers, considering saying your goodbyes and checking out whatever event was happening in the living room.

"Hmm, Well, I Am Quite Eager To Discover More Of The Surface And Everything It Offers," Green hummed pleasantly. You nodded idly, still sour that you, Sans and Papyrus were the only ones that had to be supervised, though didn't bother spoiling the skeleton's good mood by complaining.

"Lots to see, I'm sure," you commented passively and in turn Green's curious gaze returned to you, apparently having caught onto your tone. This Papyrus seemed to be rather perceptive too. Guess both he and his brother were similar in that aspect. 

"Is There Perhaps Somewhere You Recommend I See?" He questioned, watching you with interest but just as politely as previous. 

You shrugged. "Can't really help all too much with that buddy. Don't know my way around here very well either."

Green seemed mildly surprised, though very curious. "Oh? Is The City Here Very Different From Your Own?"

You thought back to your own home city. It was a bit of a strain, as your life before the underground wasn't something you dwelled on all too often. Though while your own universe was from the same time period as this one, you found that other then the general lay out of the streets, that this one was near completely different. Overall, things here seemed cleanlier, opener, shops livelier and the atmosphere warmer.  
Sure, your own city wasn't the worst place in the world, but comparing this version of Ebott city to your own it may as well be. 

"Mostly," you replied simply, eyes drifting to the book by his side, noting that it didn't have any cover, just brown leather to protect it's contents. Mysterious.  
And mostly boring. 

Now satisfied with your encounter of Green, having spent enough time to form an opinion of the skeleton, your curiosity of who this new skeleton was outweighed by whatever was happening in the living room. "Anyhow," you interrupted before Green could continue the conversation or bring up a new topic, "I'll leave you to your reading."

Green nodded, "Of Course. It Was A Pleasure Making Your Acquaintance Y/n," he hummed, reaching out to offer you a spare hand. 

You tensed, eyeing his hand warily, gaze flickering up to meet his sockets momentarily. Forcing yourself to stop hesitating you stiffly slipped your own hand in his as he, surprisingly gently, gave your hand a warm shake in greeting. You relaxed in his soft grip, immediately withdrawing your hand after the encounter. You nodded in response to his statement, eyes lingering on him for a moment longer before turning to leave, crumbling the empty chip bag in your hands. 

You felt Greens curious gaze on your back as you left, not bothering to glance back upon feeling no ill intention in the look. Instead you escaped his vision as you turned into the hallway, passing the kitchen to ditch your rubbish in the bin as you passed. 

As you passed through the kitchen you made sure to pick up a new snack along the way, before leaving to check out whatever was going on in the living room. Having lived in this household for a about a month (excluding your time at Toriel's) you were pretty competent in navigating your way around the place, and as such found the living room in record speed.

Ducking around the doorway, you lingered in the entrance for a few moments to observe your surroundings. There were... a lot more skeletons here since you last checked. Huddled around the relatively large coffee table were most of the older-brother personality skeletons, surrounding it in a prude attempt at a circle.  
Closest to the coffee table was Slim, legs spread out underneath it as he dealt everyone in. To his left was Red, and to his right Classic, all three sitting across the floor, while on the other side of the table was Stretch and Mutt, sunk into the cushions of the couch as they swiped up their cards from the table. 

Slim, assumingly the dealer, was the first to notice you, seeing as everyone on his side were the ones facing the doorway. He raised a bone brow at you, a smirk playing at his sharp teeth. "heh. Sorry human, ya' gonna have ta wait until next round," he rasped, drawing the attention of everyone else in the room to follow his gaze. 

You received a few looks, some curious, most disinterested. In reply, you stared back just as nonchalantly. 

"Looks like the kitten has decided to join us."

Your heart paused in surprise momentarily before you quickly located the source and sent a sharp glare their way, getting a few chuckles in turn. Mutt grinned innocently as if he couldn't hear the smirk in the sentence he just spurted, receiving a few curious glances himself, but his own challenging gaze never lingered from your own. 

You didn't move from your spot, simply crossing your arms, gaze shifting over to Stretch as he decided to comment. "Pawsome." He drawled, grinning lazily with one of hands tucked into the pockets of his orange hoodie, the other holding his cards protectively up against his chest as he slumped into the couch. 

A few people huffed a laugh at the remark, leaning forward as they continued to play amidst the conversation. "Yeah, we're always furry happy to have more players," Classic mused, more to Stretch than you. 

Though while basic puns at best, you couldn't help the mild amusement bubbling up in your stomach. You'd always had a 'Poor Quality' sense of humour, as Paps best described it. 

"Heh, yeah," Red cut in, obviously deciding to contribute to the conversation with a wide toothy grin of his own, "Let the cat join- don't mind playing with a bit of pussy." 

You nearly choked on air as several of the other skeletons wheezed out their own laughter- especially the edgier skeletons. Red's sockets cut through the air at the comment to meet your own, the red pinpricks flashing brighter temporarily. It was far from a warm look. You stared back tensely. That expression of his was downright menacing, yet despite you merely sighed, holding his gaze as you moved from your spot in the doorway to take a seat in between both him and Slim. 

It wasn't until you'd sat down did you break his gaze, only shifting your eyes as your own sharp grin spread across your lips. "Whatever. You guys are a lost claws."

A split second of silence later did you receive a light chuckle or grin from the others. A few other skeletons shot a few more puns your way, before the topic of the conversation began to move onto something less pun related. You mostly stayed silent, merely observing everyone and listening intently on the exchanging of words. From the outside it looked like everyone was old friends, chatting happily with each other, and though while there was no real tension in the air, you still felt out of place.  
While certain company here were alright (mostly Slim and Mutt), you either hardly knew the rest (Red) or weren't on amazing terms.  
For now, everyone played friendly and until they didn't, then you suppose you would too. 

"You playin' next round kitty?" You could hear the mockery in Mutt's voice as he referred to you by your 'nickname', though from the teasing smirk playing on his teeth you knew he wasn't trying to start any real trouble- just trying to get on your nerves. You refrained from rolling your eyes at him before shaking your head 'no'.

"Aww, that's no fun kid'," Red commented from beside you, receiving a deadpan look from your way. 

"She hasn't got a job, remember?" Classic explained thoughtfully, his gaze shifting from Red's to briefly lock with yours, tearing his sockets away from yours just as quickly to stare intently down at his cards. Apart from that one night you two had talked things out (well, Classic had talked things out) and perhaps the night G and Green got here, the two of you hadn't interacted, as such, you imagined that if he was feeling as guilty as he claimed, things would still be relatively awkward for him.  
You still didn't like the 'original' skeleton, not even after Creampuff had talked to you about things. You certainly appreciated the explanation, but it didn't change anything. 

Red seemed to consider what Classic said before shrugging, "So? There are other ways she can pay us back," he grinned sharply, winking in your direction. You raised a brow at his shameless flirting, slightly put off by his suggestive words. You knew that there wasn't any real intention behind his words but you certainly weren't used to being so bluntly spoken to in... that manner. 

You fixed your eyes on the cards being played, as the skeletons exchanged banter between each other. You didn't recognise exactly what they were playing, and after a while of playing close attention your gaze shifted elsewhere, bored of trying to figure out all of the rules and workings of the game.  
To your right was Slim, dressed in his signature purple hoodie (did any of these skeletons ever change their clothes?) and a cigarette hanging between the edges of his teeth. You stared over at him momentarily, slightly amused at the circumstance.

Obviously having noticed your gaze, Slim tilted his skull to stare at you curiously, locking eyes as he waited for some sort of comment on your part. "Why is it every time we meet your gambling?"

Slim gave you a look, "Got a pretty good memory kid- and I don't think we've ever played before."

You paused, furrowing your eyebrows. You hadn't played before? You were sure you had-

….

huh. Guess you hadn't. 

You shrugged, refocusing your gaze on the skeleton you were facing. Slim's expression shifted into curiosity, a question lingering in his sockets that he didn't verbalise. After a few seconds he merely scoffed in amusement at you, lazily shifting back around to focus on the game. 

You lost yourself to your thoughts after that. Mostly blanking out instead of paying attention. Your thoughts didn't linger on anything in particular, shifting from subject to subject, person to person. While you weren't particularly engaged in the situation around you, it was far more interesting than lingering around the household in search of something to do.  
You considered going upstairs to hang with Sans, but even though he didn't verbalise it, worrying for you kept him up most of the duration while you were sick and no doubt was he napping to make up for it. You'd join him but you'd been doing nothing but sleep the past two days and weren't tired enough to sleep. You'd also thought about going to find Papyrus, but no doubt was he doing something productive or active, both in which you were feeling far too lethargic to do as of current. 

So sitting here, awake but not participating in anything requiring any effort was the best option for you as of current.  
Well, you weren't doing anything until a certain someone decided they felt conversational. 

"Noticed you've been missing the past couple days aye human?"

You eyed Red from the corner of you gaze, shrugging. His sockets narrowed as he stared at you suspiciously. 

"Don't talk much do ya'," he muttered your way. 

You shifted to face him better, pocketing your hands in your jacket. "Not to you," you replied coolly. 

He raised a bone brow at you, tilting his skull as he stared at you tensely. "Heh. Got a mouth on ya'."

"As far as I'm aware, I'm not the only one," you shot Red a meaningful look which he chuckled dryly at. He paused, merely to observe you. You weren't sure if it was intentional or if his gaze naturally held warning, but either way you didn't react to it. 

He was broken out of his observing as he bent forward to drop his cards on the table upon his turn, before falling back, holding himself up with his arms.  
"Where's Axe and Crooks? They too busy to hang out wit' the human?"

You narrowed your eyes at Red, fingers twitching in your pockets, the plastic of the snack you'd brought along with you giving you away. Red's smirk tugged at the edges, as his gaze flickered down to your pockets before back up to you. "Ya' know, I kind of expected Edge to be the bigger arsehole out of the two of you. Guess I was wrong," you shrugged. 

You threw your gaze over your shoulder to find the source of the snickering, finding the rest of the group had heard your little commentary. 

"Ppft- ya hear that Red? Being compared to Edge, that's gotta hurt man," Stretch chuckled, grin widening at Red's scowl. 

"Fuck off," Red growled, glaring daggers over to Stretch, who was utterly unfazed by Red's reaction, if not further amused. 

"Dunno 'bout you guys, but I think the human is right," Slim drawled with a mean smirk pulled across his teeth as he met Red's gaze. A few other skeletons laughed in response or commenting in turn. 

Red quickly lost his cool, muttering profanities and glaring at everyone in response. In turn everyone cooled off on the jabs sent his way, but with smirks spread across everyone's expressions, the rest of your company made it their mission to throw a teasing remark his way as time went on.  
You grinned to yourself, finding yourself thoroughly enjoying being a bystander to everyone bullying Red and in response Red's creatively strung together combinations of especially colourful words. 

Heh. Sure, being 'nice' was good and all- but damn, being a bit of an arsehole was fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I may or may not have been neglecting Red and I'm really sorry for that. I'll make up for it I swear lol.  
> Also, MC has finally spoken to Green! 
> 
> I wonder what both Green and Red thought of her?
> 
> comment spooktober if you can see this lol 


	33. SPIDER LADY

"Muffet?" Stretch gave you a curious look, as if he didn't expect you to know who she was. 

You nodded, "Met her when I was staying with Toriel."

Stretch seemed to accept this answer, shrugging as he sat plush against the lounge cushions, "Sure. When do you wanna get going?" 

"Let me go ask Sans and Paps if they want to come first," you explained to which Stretch nodded in approval. 

"Alright," he confirmed, shifting his gaze from you hovering beside the couch his was sitting on to back over to the TV, "Welp. I'll be right here. Come get me when you're ready to go."

You took that as a signal that the conversation was over, hesitating before you left to observe the skeleton. Stretch, though not entirely fond of him yourself, wasn't actually a half bad person. Sure, he'd called you and your boys freaks (something that you still felt resentful towards), but excluding that one incident, he'd never been outright cruel or discriminatory towards you.  
Plus he didn't give you an odd look whenever you used Sans' and Papyrus' real names rather then their dedicated nicknames. 

You spun on your heel, leaving the room without so much as a glance at the orange clad skeleton. The past few nights you found both you and your boys had been escaping the household just after sunset, wandering the streets of the city under the stars. The three of you revelled in the sense of freedom that came along with being unsupervised, however there were disadvantages. That being that the majority of places were closed, excluding night clubs (too many humans), and service stations (not exactly much to do there). As such, the three of you were left to rely on the lazy version of Papyrus to take you around the city when services of the city were available to you. 

After the whole incident at the flower shop, you'd been purposely careful to find monster friendly places. You figured what better place then somewhere run by a monster themselves? Sure, the lack of money meant there was no buying anything, however, just getting out of the house was enough for you and Papyrus.  
It was slightly different for Sans, while he thoroughly enjoyed being on the surface he'd be perfectly content to lock himself inside all day. He was lazy like that and it amused you to no end. 

Speaking of lazy, you'd pulled open Sans' door to find him face down napping into his pillow. His hand hanging off the edge of his bed twitched, brushing the handle of his axe as if unconsciously reaching for it. A grin curled on your face, not bothering to close the door as you didn't plan to be there very long before creeping forward. 

"Sans," you called his name, eyeing him to look for any sign of movement, "Wanna go out with me to Muffets?"

No response. You quirked an eyebrow at his still form. You'd known Sans long enough to know when he was actually sleeping and when he was pretending. With a grin you crept even closer until you were standing beside him, tenderly shaking him in hopes to annoy him enough to answer you. "C'mon Sans. Don't make me get Paps," you playfully threatened. 

Sans' skull sunk further into his pillow as he grumbled to himself. You grinned, only for a sigh to escape your lips when he went right back to trying to sleep. After a few moments of silence you eyed the skeleton, who was hugging his pillow, blankets ruffled messily under him and slippers having fallen off of his feet and under the bed, leaving just socks in which you couldn't help but smirk at. 

Another dramatic sigh on your part, your gaze fell to his axe leaning against his bed, now forgotten as Sans' hand left to instead grip onto the sides of his pillow. "Right, well, guess your axe is mine now," you stated, picking up the surprisingly heavy axe in your hands so it hung limp by your side.  
You grinned mischievously as Sans' tensed, "Shouldn't have left it unguarded," you mused, waiting for a further reaction.  
You'd attempted something similar a couple months earlier, when Papyrus was complaining about the socks Sans' kept leaving all over the house. You'd took pity on the monster and decided to take measures in your own hands. Only that you'd failed, miserably. Despite his lazy demeanour, the guy could be quick on his feet when he wanted to be. For the next week it become a sort of game in which you'd constantly try to nick his cleaver, only for him to suddenly 'wake up' and retrieve it. Eventually, you'd relented, but it was a sure way to get him up and moving. 

You waited a further moment, though while still tense, Sans made no further movement. A smirk curled on your lips in response as you moved to turn and leave. Spinning on your heel with the axe propped up on your shoulder to escape out the door, you yelped as two firm arms slipped around your waist and pulled you into a solid chest, pulling you back until you fell back onto the bed with them. 

Axe having dropped to the floor during the sudden movement, you found yourself pressed against the mattress of the bed and under Sans, who hovered menacingly over you, sockets wide as he grinned widely down at you. "Certainly know how to get what you want, don't you peaches?" 

You stared wide up at Sans as he hovered over you, still pinned against the bed as you grinned sheepishly up at him. You went to part your lips to reply, only to be cut off when Sans decided to continue speaking for you. 

"Heheh... you ain't the only one that wants something, peaches," he grinned, sockets lidding as he stared at you with fuzzy eye lights. 

Your skin prickled at the gruffness of his voice. Sans' phalanges played with the ends of your hair as you gave Sans an inquisitive look, curious as to what he meant. 

"Brother? Y/n?"

Just as Papyrus wandered through the open door did you find Sans' had just as quickly sipped off of you and now stood at the opposite side of the room, a mere foot away from his brother. Still in shock you warily pushed yourself up from Sans' bed, staring silently at the two as you tried to register everything that had just happened. 

"Ah- Sans! I Was Just Seeing If The Two Of You Were Okay. I Thought I Heard Your Voices, But Found It Unusual That Your Door Was Wide Open."

It took you a few seconds, but you quickly regained your composure, slipping out of Sans' bed to tenderly get up and approach the two. 

"Yeah bro, we're alright," Sans casually answered, hands tucked away in his pockets, "Peaches was telling me about how we're going out to Muffets," Sans' shifted his gaze from his brother to instead stare intently at you. You didn't shrink under his gaze, instead stared back, curious as to exactly what emotion was hiding within that crimson orb of his as it expanded upon landing on you. 

"Muffets?" Papyrus questioned, drawing your attention away from Sans and to him instead. "I See... It Certainly Has Been A While Since Last I Have Heard Of Her... I Am Very Eager To Meet This World's Version Of Her!"

"...heh. yeah."

"Well, When Exactly Are We Going Y/n?"

You paused, still partially left in your thoughts, "I, uh...Now, if you want."

"Excellent! Then Lets Not Waste Time!"

\-------

As Papyrus held open the door both for your group and the exiting humans inside, you weren't surprised to find the majority of the tables occupied. Sweeping your eyes over the building you idly noted that true to as what Muffet had previously explained to you, several of the people here were familiar faces. You guessed Friday was a popular day for the quaint little café.  
Though while this was your second time visiting the store, it was both Sans' and Papyrus' first. The two inspected the place curiously, similarly to how they looked at anything new that they'd discovered upon the surface. 

You grinned at Papyrus' approving smile, before wandering off to find a free booth that the three of you slipped into, Stretch opting to give the three of you your privacy and finding a seat a few tables away from yours to scroll through his phone.  
Sitting closest to the window, and by your side was Sans, and opposite you sat Papyrus, who looked elated just to be here. Though, then again, he appeared to be ecstatic just to leave the house in general. You were glad he was enjoying the surface, despite the setbacks you've all had. 

"Wowie! It Appears Muffets' Café Is Very Popular!"

You bobbed your head in agreement at Papyrus, running your gaze over the store once again. A few people queued at the counter in which Muffet served each customer with an award winning smile, two pairs of hands cusp behind her back and another free to move around and jot down orders on a notepad. 

"Yeah. The food here is real good." You felt guilty that Papyrus and Sans wouldn't get to try any. Yet, anyway. 

The two skeletons accompanying you gave you curious looks and you explained it to them simply, "Toriel took me here."

They nodded at your answer, falling into a comfortable silence just to observe their surroundings. Currently the three of you were tucked away in one of the booths in the corner of the café, made of a deep royal purple leather and dark wood. The tiling of the floor was a checkered pattern of lavender and white, with large, white framed springline windows decorating the royal purple walls.  
It was obviously apparent that purple was Muffet's favourite colour, and you were constantly reminded whenever you came within proximity of the monster. 

It was upon your inspection of the room that you noticed that while you- or more specifically, Sans and Papyrus, received a few looks from other people within the café, that no longer did your group have any attention on yourselves. You felt yourself relax in your seat, however slightly, knowing that nobody here was going to bother them for being monsters. The first few wary looks your boys received, while slightly unpleasant for them, was reasonable. You hated to admit it, but both Sans and Papyrus had their battle-wounds, and it was hard to ignore.  
The glances weren't ideal, but forgivable.

"We should go and see a movie," you blurted suddenly. Sans shifted to stare at you curiously as Papyrus moved to face you, his grin increasingly growing. 

"As In On One Of Those Very Large Screens A.K.A One Of The Best Places For Bonding Between Friends?" You weren't entirely sure who informed him amount the cinema, or that it was a great place to go for a date, but either way, you nodded in confirmation, Papyrus gleefully grinning in return. 

"Yeah. They're called a cinema, Paps'."

"Then Yes! We Must Go To This 'Cinema'! Oh- What Shall We Go See?" Papyrus eagerly questioned, much to your amusement. Back in the underground it was a lot harder to get him that excited over anything that wasn't puzzles, it was impossible to explain just how happy it made your soul tug that Papyrus could find something to be excited for, now that you were on the surface.  
You were endlessly grateful to be out of the underground, and you don't think you can ever get over the realisation of just how much you had taken granted of before the underground. 

You shrugged at Papyrus' question, "Whatever you want to see. We'll have to check out the options later."

"That Sounds Like A Wonderful Idea!" Papyrus grinned, only for it to falter a moment later, "But Wait- How Will We Get In? Don't They Require Money To Go See?"

You grinned, "Don't worry about that Pap', I have a few tricks up my sleeve." Back from your younger days, you and your friends had mastered the art of sneaking into cinema's and watching free movies. While it may be harder considering two, particularly large, skeletal monsters will be accompanying you, you were also confident in your abilities to sneak past anyone who may intervene. (Probably one of your only redeeming qualities, actually).

Papyrus grinned, trusting you when you told him not to worry about it before turning to face his brother. "What About You Sans? Would You Like To Go?"

Sans merely shrugged, loosely holding his axe by his side (it was rather amusing actually, that anyone even let him in the store with that thing). "Whatever you wanna do Paps'."

"Then It Is Decided! Perhaps Afterwards We Shall Have To-"

The feeling of being watched distracted you from whatever Papyrus was suggesting and towards the opposite end of the room. Que now vacant, you found Muffet leaning over the pristine white counter with her cheek resting in one of her many hands, smiling playfully over in your direction.  
You paused, a little surprised to find her staring over your way before quirking an eyebrow curiously at the spider-lady. 

Your eyes dropped to her little fangs, now exposed as her grin widened. Silently she waved you over and you threw her a questioning look, in which she merely smirked at. Your gaze shifted from Muffet over to Papyrus, who was boldly discussing theoretical plans for tonight with Sans. 

"Uh- I'll be back," you interrupted, instantly gaining both Sans and Papyrus attention. "Gonna say hi to Muffet?" You stated, which came off sounding more like a question considering you weren't entirely sure why she wanted to talk to you anyway. 

Sans merely stared at you with his usual grin, Papyrus however, though curious, nodded in acknowledgment. "I See! Well, It Comes As No Surprise That Someone As Great As Yourself Is Making More Friends!" Papyrus grinned proudly, reaching over to tenderly ruffle your hair. 

"Probably just using me as an excuse to admire you from afar," you grinned, slipping out of your seat. At your statement Papyrus' grin increased tenfold. You had to admit, Sans' habit of constantly complimenting the guy had rubbed off on you over the past few years. It was impossible to not like that confident grin of his. "Nyeheh! Well, Perhaps I Will Consider Allowing Them To Befriend Me."

You raised an eyebrow at Papyrus, "Yeah?"

"Of Course! But Only If They Succeed To Live Up To Your Expectations!"

You faltered, " 'My' expectations?" You questioned curiously. 

"Indeed," Papyrus stated, "I Cannot Befriend Someone Who You Deem To Be Unworthy! After All, I Trust The Judgement Of The Person I Deem Most Worthy Of My Companionship!" You paused, slightly in awe, "-And Sans Too, Of Course." Papyrus shot Sans a fond look, and you found yourself grinning widely. 

"Heh. Yeah, alright Paps'." 

Papyrus grinned just as warmly over at you, "Now Go On! It Is Rude To Keep Your Friends Waiting, Y/n," he lightly scolded, which unfazed you completely. Grinning just as widely as before, you nodded, before turning on your heel to wander over to the counter, walking in the direction out of Stretch's line of vision so as to avoid gaining his attention as you walked. 

Muffet seemed to perk up as you approached, pushing herself off the counter to instead stand as you shuffled towards her, hands shoved in your pockets as your feet hit the counter. Instead of saying anything, you merely watched Muffet curiously, waiting for her to speak first.

"Ah! Hello dearie~ It has been a while, hasn't it?"

You paused. It'd been a couple of weeks at most. Hardly very long for acquaintances such as yourself. ...Maybe. You weren't entirely in touch with what was socially acceptable anymore- if ever actually. You shrugged. "Sure."

Muffet, unfazed by your reserved composure cusped her hands in front of her. "I see you are no longer with Toriel," she noted, her eyes shifting from you and back over to the table where you were previously sitting at. You were about to reply only to falter upon notice the slight frown curling the edges of her lips. A scowl stretched across your features, as you grit your teeth with a new found sudden anger at her expression- just moments away from growling at the spider to warn her off from whatever she was about to say, only to hesitate when finding the frown had been replaced with a polite smile just as quickly as the frown had appeared. Still slightly put on edge, you clenched your hands in your pockets but refrained from going off at the woman.  
Who knows what was running through her head- there was no need to jump to conclusions, you struggled to remind yourself. 

"I assume that they are your own version of the skeleton brothers?"

Stiffly, you nodded. 

"Hmph." She hummed, eyeing the two from over your shoulder once again, but you refrain from glancing back too, instead staring intently at the woman in front of you. "Well, you'll have to introduce me~" She giggled throwing you off guard. 

She...wanted to meet them? With wide eyes, it took you a few seconds before you nodded once again, much to Muffets pleasure. You eyed the purple woman warily, watching her expression carefully but only finding sincerity on her features.  
….She really wanted to meet them?

Noting your curious expression she merely giggled, "Don't look so surprised dearie! A friend of yours is a friend of mine, after all~" She winked playfully. 

A moment longer and a grin of your own curled across your lips, a wide, happy grin in which Muffet seemed rather pleased to find. "Sure," you agreed, now significantly more relaxed having found that Muffet had no problem with your boys. "They're the best."

Muffet's grin noticeably grew at your words, seemingly finding your verbal affection towards them adorable. "Ahuhu~ That's sweet dearie," she cooed.

You shrugged, watching interestedly as she turned on her feet to go and find something. 

"And luckily for you, dearie," she grinned, bending down to slid open one of the display case and carefully take out three beautifully decorated spider donuts, "I happen to really like sweet things~"  
She stood, closing the display case and placing the paper bag filled with donuts on the counter in front of you. 

With wide eyes, you realised that she had gotten them for you, "Oh- uh, I don't have any mone-"

"-On the house~," she giggled, pushing the paper bag forward as if to urge you to take it. "One for yourself and one for both your Papyrus and Sans."

You paused, surprised. She'd just...given you food. For free. A nice gesture by anyone's standards, but far more meaningful to you considering the...circumstances you'd previously lived in. You couldn't help staring bashfully down at the offering but you didn't refrain from accepting it, picking up the paper bag before your gaze shifted back up to meet Muffet's.  
"Ah- yeah, thanks," you grinned sheepishly, glancing away to the wall beside you rather then at Muffet's pleased smirk. 

"Of course dearie~ I always enjoy talking to you." You couldn't help but tense nervously at the comment, eyes flickering back over to Muffet before moving back to the walk. You'd met, what, three times previously? Muffet seemed a whole lot more friendlier then how you expected someone you hardly knew to act. 

"Uh- yep. You too," you said, this time properly meeting her gaze. "Thanks again for the food- I uh, was there something else you wanted to talk about?"

Muffet looked mildly surprised at your question, before shaking her head. "Not at all, I simply wished to greet one of my favourite humans~"

You hesitated. One of her 'favourite humans'? Okay, now she was laying it on a little thick. She wasn't- she wasn't _flirting_ with you, was she?  
You stared at Muffet with wide eyes. She couldn't actually like you, could she? 

"Uh- before you go dearie," you were brought out of your racing thoughts as Muffet drew your attention back over to her. "Do you think that perhaps I could get your number?"

….You paused.

"Ahuhu~ I would love to stay in touch," she grinned playfully. 

yup. holy fuck. 

She was _actually_ flirting with you. 

Hesitantly, you nodded. Pulling out the phone that at some point, Toriel had gotten for you and you'd previously neglected until now. You let Muffet have total control over both phones, seeing as it wasn't like you had anything to hide on it. Or anything at all, actually. 

Muffet handed you back your phone, grin just as playful. You glanced down at your phone to check the contact finding both her name and a winky face.  
The emoji next to the name seemed to really confirm the whole situation. 

Holy shit. She was actually interested in you. 

Warily, you glanced back up at the, admittedly, rather attractive spider-lady. 

….  
yeah.  
This was a disaster waiting to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goddamn i'm so gay for Muffet. The internal confliction with being pan is being attracted to every character in fanfiction lol. 
> 
> Anyhow, what do you guys think is going to happen between the two? Will sparks fly or will it end in disaster before it can even start? Perhaps both? 
> 
> fluff fluff and more FLUFF! it's almost as if you're being purposefully mislead to think things will be okay. 


	34. SUSHI

You'd spent most of your time on the surface without questioning what day, month or even year it was. You were curious, but it merely wasn't a question pressing enough for you to ask. However, it was upon checking the time on your new mobile device (something that you had lost the habit of using since the underground), that you caught the glance of the date and was almost immediately intrigued.   
You were intrigued because it was that time of year again, when skeletons were hung on peoples front veranda's and police tape hazardously thrown around each front yard. You weren't entirely sure how many versions of Sans and Papyrus had been on the surface long enough to encounter Halloween, but your boys sure haven't. Admittedly, you were equally eager as you were concerned to see their reactions.   
A bubble of amusement welled in your chest at the thought of skeleton props, which no doubt they'd merely view as naked skeletons.

A smile pulled on your lips at the time, imagining that you'd be spending quite a lot of time listening to Papyrus rant about how 'Obscene' human traditions were, and quite possibly assist him in dressing several of them. 

You were a little curious as to how it could be so late in October and you had completely missed any sign of the upcoming Halloween. However, now that you knew, the signs were blatantly obvious. You now noticed the spooky themed merchandise in stores, the props decorating neighbourhoods and the discount ads played on television. It wasn't until a week after this revelation however, that both Sans and Papyrus caught on. 

It was a Saturday night, and you'd caught Papyrus warily eyeing one of the skeleton props hanging from a tree as the three of you passed through the suburbs, a recent shortcut the three of you found got you to the inner city faster than through the forest. You'd stopped, immediately followed by Sans as he too noticed the prop, muttering something about 'freaky human fetishes'. 

Just outside what appeared to be an average upper-middle class home, quaint little flower garden and all, was a oak tree sporting a hanging skeleton. From Papyrus' disapproving gaze rolling over the props' body, you noted a, _very naked,_ skeleton. 

With half a grin stretched across your lips, you didn't jump at Papyrus' sudden question, well prepared for it the moment the group stopped. 

"Y/n?"

"Yeah Pap?"

Papyrus warily spun around to face you, awkwardly flickering his gaze back from the prop to you with a barely noticeable glow hanging on his cheeks. "Why Is There..." You quirked an eyebrow innocently as Papyrus awkwardly gestured towards the prop, "...An Unclothed Skeleton...Hanging From A Tree?"

You paused, taking a moment just to enjoy Papyrus' embarrassment as the taller of the two stared at the prop skeptically. Gaze flickering to your left you found Sans shamelessly boring his gaze into the prop with a neutral grin. "Halloween," you shrugged simply, gaining both skeleton's attention as Sans finally shifted his gaze to settle on you. 

"It's a tradition up here," you began to explain, both skeletons seemingly interested in the topic, "Humans dress up as monsters and go trick or treating, I guess."

"They Dress Up As Monsters?" Papyrus asked curiously as you met his gaze, nodding in confirmation. You thought back to the last time you'd celebrated Halloween. You'd dressed up as some mainstream creepypasta- you couldn't remember which one anymore, but it'd been a hit. It had been a long while since you last thought of Halloween, the last time you could recall the thought crossing your mind had been during the first few months after having fallen to the underground. With each new species of monster you discovered left you comparing them to human stereotypes and horror movies that would premier around Halloween.   
Eventually, you'd adjusted to the sight of monsters, and as such began to think of the surface less and less, and as such, Halloween too. 

"S'whats with the skeleton, then?" You glanced over at Sans, before shrugging.

"Skeletons are considered creepy up here I guess. Fits with the whole vibe." You gauged the boy's reactions as they processed the information, Sans rather unfazed if not slightly weirded out by the sight of the prop, Papyrus, however, still refusing to glance any lower than the Props skull. 

"I...See...Hopefully We Will Not Have To Encounter Such...Lewd Displays, Often."

You grinned at Papyrus' careful wording, shoving your hands in your pockets, realising how cold they were hanging by your sides and exposed to the chill of the night. "Don't know about that Paps," you said as a mischievous grin curled across your lips, spinning on your heel as the three of you continued walking.

Papyrus threw you an inquisitive look with a quirked bone-brow, "..??? What Ever Do You Mean?"

Your eyes flickered from the street in front of you to the skeleton beside you as you grinned, "Skeletons are pretty popular."

"Nyeh?" A proud grin curled across his teeth, chest puffing in pride, "Well, Of Course They Are Y/n! I Am (-And I Suppose Sans Too) Very Cool! Though You Have Lived With Me Long Enough To Know This Already No Doubt."

Sans chuckled from beside you, merely grinning in agreement. Your grin never faulted, as you bobbed you head in support of Papyrus' claim. "Yup. The coolest."

Papyrus seemed very pleased with your response, as he usually was whenever he received a compliment. The three of you continued in companionable silence, hovering closely to each other and never straying from each others side. That was, until you past yet another skeleton prop. Papyrus pointedly stared away from it, however, your eyes lingered as you walked past, eyeing the open cloak and scythe grasped in its hands.

"Y/n!" 

Your eyes flickered back to Papyrus' as he settled his hands on his hips.

"Do Not Stare At Them!"

You paused, shooting Papyrus an odd look with a crooked smile spread across your face, "Why not?" you mused.

Papyrus paused, "B-Because They Are Naked!" You raised an eyebrow at him playfully, in which he immediately shifted his gaze from you to just to the side of you, "I-It's Indecent!" He stuttered. 

Your grin grew, "But what if they're hot?"

Papyrus' sockets widened, "Y/n!" He scolded, causing your grin to spread, "As Glad As I Am To Hear That You Find Skeleton's Attractive, They Are Also Quite Nude! Staring At Them Would Be Indecent!"

You shrugged playfully, "Dunno if I can help myself Pap- those bones look quite tasty," you waggled your eyebrows much to Papyrus' dismay as you idly noted Sans' stiffening from beside you. A faint hue spread across Papyrus' cheekbones as he gave you a pointed look. 

"I Have Faith That You Will Be Able To Control Your Urges Around Other Skeletons, Y/n."

With a devilish grin you moved forward to walk backwards in front of the two, "Don't know about that- I thought I saw real a hot skeleprop just up ahead- think I might take it with me."

Papyrus looked horrified, "You Absolutely Will Not!"

You shrugged,"Just watch me."

With an grin pulling painfully wide across your face you spun on your heel, shooting off down the street with Papyrus no sooner hot on your trail as you frantically searched for skeleton props to claim. Sans would occasionally take a shortcut to keep up with the two of you in the short distances that he was able to travel at a time, watching with a terrifyingly large grin of his own as you'd run up to a skeleton prop, give it a smooch across the skull and race off again before Papyrus could sweep you up in his arms and restrain you from your manic skeleton smooching frenzy. 

Having stolen frantic kisses from at least twelve skeletons, pulling your lips away from one dressed in torn cowboy rags with a toothy grin spread across your face, you felt two arms wrap themselves around your torso and pull you into their chest. You grinned as you dangled from Papyrus' arms, listening to him scold you about the ethics of kissing without consent, holding you pressed up against his ribs and refusing to let your feet touch the ground for the rest of the night, so you 'wouldn't go around assaulting skeleton props' again, or so he claimed. 

\-------

You sat in silence as you contently reviewed the night a couple days before, resting your cheek in your palm as you waited on the front deck, sitting at the little table out there as you idly waited to be picked up. Creampuff and Blueberry, still standing, chatted with each other happily, waiting with you until whatever one of their 'friends' arrived.   
You'd walked into the kitchen this morning to help with breakfast, only to be swept up in Creampuff's and Blueberry's plans to go shopping for Halloween. Admittedly, you didn't need much convincing to agree, and as such you found yourself in this current situation.   
You'd asked Papyrus if he wanted to go, but, while mildly disappointed, refused as he'd already planned to do some training with Black and Razz. You'd been a little wary to hear that he was going to be around Black at first, but knew all too well that Papyrus was a _very_ capable skeleton. It didn't take long to swallow your nerves and remind yourself that even if he ended up in a conflict, Papyrus knew how to take care of himself. He was smart like that, strong too.   
And you knew it first hand, from all those years ago.

You'd also attempted to ask Sans, however, strangely enough, he wasn't in his room. You'd wandered around the house for a bit to try and find him, but the end result wasn't fruitful. You would have been anxious, but this was the butcher you were talking about. You were more anxious for whoever was WITH him, if anyone at all. 

Idly you tapped your fingers against the glass table, eyeing the long front yard in front of you. This area was away from everywhere else, on the outskirts of the city. The outer suburbs began about a ten minute walk away from here, and the city began another half an hour walk from there. You were quite fond of the little location you found yourself in. It was isolated enough to have your privacy, deep within the bush where nobody could find you unless they were looking, surrounded by the wildness and blanketed in the vast, uninterrupted view of the sky with no other architecture in sight. But it was also close enough to the city where you could go out and do as you liked and have the reassurance of knowing that you'd never run out of resources as they were all available right there.

Your thoughts were interrupted as a skeleton decided to slink into the chair across from you, plucking out a cigarette from a pack and sticking it between his teeth. 

"Hey," he rasped easily, eyeing you briefly before pulling out a lighter to light his cigarette. 

You watched G with mild interest, halting in your finger tapping. "...hi."

Sinking back into his seat and taking a moment to take a drag on his smoke he let his gaze linger on you. "You guys look like your waiting for something, going somewhere?"

"Halloween shopping," you shrugged, in which G rose a bone-brow in response, intrigued. 

"Halloween?"

Right, he and his brother wouldn't have heard of the holiday either. Makes sense.

"It's a holiday. Supposed to be scary."

G hummed in response, a puff of smoke escaping through his teeth when he exhaled. "Scary huh? I suppose it won't be hard for us to give them a spook."

You grinned, "Can't blame them. One look at you will send 'em running for the hills"

Huffing a laugh he took a final drag of cigarette before smothering it out on the glass table "Low blow," he grinned. 

"Just because it's low doesn't mean it's not true."

G eyed you at the remark, "Certainly know how to hurt a man's pride, don't you human?" Despite the hint of seriousness in the comment, you could tell he was mostly amused. You shrugged, dropping your hand from your cheek to instead slump back in your chair and tuck your hands away safely in your hoodie's pockets. 

"I'm a flatterer, if you haven't noticed."

G grinned, pulling out his box of cigarettes and spinning it in his hands, visibly contemplating having another. "Heh, anybody would be flattered to get a look at you, angel," he winked. 

You deadpanned. You'd spoken to G few times, but apparently it was long enough to be able to gather he was a bit of a flirt. "Coming on a bit strong, aren't you buddy?" Thankfully, you knew that was just how he was with everyone.   
Speaking of flirting, Muffet texted you this morning. You had yet to respond to her as you were unsure as how to respond. It was an innocent enough text, simply her asking if you'd be dropping by one of her stores anytime soon, and that she hoped she'd be seeing you sometime soon, only that now that you knew she was genuinely into you, you had no idea how to react.   
You were fifteen when you fell to the underground, while not exactly young you were still inexperienced at the time, and frankly you still are. The only kind of attention you got underground was hunger related, this, however, was a completely different kind of hunger. One that made your heart clench anxiously. This was foreign territory, and you had to plan your next move carefully...

"Oh! Hello G!" The two of you twisted to face Blueberry, who had apparently broke from his and Creampuff's conversation long enough to notice the newest skeleton's presence, bouncing over with Creampuff right behind him to speak to G.

G twisted in his seat to better face the blue clad version of himself, "Hey," he greeted easily. 

"G, It Seems You Have Impeccable Timing! We're About To Go Halloween Shopping!!! Would You Like To Come?" G twisted his skull to run his eyes over Cream puff's skull. He looked like he was right about to refuse until his gaze flickered back to you, smirk curling at the edges of his teeth.

He shrugged, "Sure, why not?"

"Well, As They Say- The More The Merrier, Right Papyrus?" Blueberry exclaimed, apparently pleased to have extra company. 

"Nyeheheh! Indeed!" 

Blueberry appeared to be about to respond when the crackling of gravel breaking under tires alerted everyone of the slick silver Mercedes Benz rolling down the driveway. Both Creampuff and Blue visibly perked, immediately spinning on their heels to race towards the car. 

You huffed a laugh at their child-like behaviour before pushing yourself out of your seat to lazily wander behind them. Eyeing the car, the drivers window was rolled down and the driver eagerly stuck their head out the window with a devilish grin spread across their lips.

....Oh god.

"Get In LOSERS! "

You've made a terrible mistake.

"It's SHOPPING TIME!!!"

Undick.

And all of a sudden, the regret of accepting coming shopping hit you like a brick. Right in the face. You halted in your spot as soon as the blue fish came into view, G, who was following you a lot closer than you'd realised near running into you, but skillfully dodging your form at the last second. He stopped from beside you, throwing you an odd look to which you didn't respond to. G followed your gaze and scrunched his bone-brows in confusion but before he could look back at you to gauge your expression again you picked up your pace and headed over to the car. 

As soon as you reached close proximity of the now parked car Undick's beady little eyes locked with your own. You grimaced, the fish narrowing her fishy eyelids at you in response. "Aye Papyrus!- You Didn't Tell Me The Human Was Coming."

Creampuff, who was previously occupied opening the car door and pulling back the car seat so someone could sit on one of the seats in the boot, ducked his head out of the car to glance over to Undick. "We Invited Her This Morning! I Think The Two Of You Will Get Along Very Well!"

At Creampuff's remark the two of you locked eyes, both narrowing them at each other in warning. You hadn't seen the fish since you had first arrived here, but needless to say the two of you did not start off on the right foot, and apparently, fish fingers remembered all too well. 

"Alrighty! Who Would Like To Sit In The Very Back?" Creampuff questioned to which you immediately shot your hand in the air. Creampuff nodded his head and moved out of the way for you to crawl into the back all the while G threw you an odd look. On the way in you locked eyes with Alphys (you think that was what her name is) to which she bashfully looked away, twiddling with her thumbs. Undick, being the conclusion jumping shit she was immediately twisted in her seat to scowl at you, in which you merely bared your teeth in reply, huffing as you fell back into your seat and pulling on your seat belt.

Everyone was quick to pile into the car (well, mostly just Creampuff and Blue, while G did so in a much more calm and relaxed manner) and no sooner did the fish behind the wheel hit the accelerator and shoot out the driveway in far from legal speeds. 

"Human!" Blueberry twisted in his seat to peek back over his chair to glance over at you. "You've Been Halloween Shopping Before, Haven't You?"

You shrugged, "Yeah?"

"Great! Though While I Excel In Everything I Do, This Is My First Halloween, And What Better Of A Mentor Than A Human Themself!?"

You quirked an eyebrow at Blue, who you were certain was propped up on his knees just to be able to reach his skull over the top of his seat. The skeleton grinned at you, his signature bandanna tied into a bow around his neck and the only article of clothing other than the blue glove resting on the top of the seat beside his skull visible to you from this angle. 

"Halloween Is Indeed Very Exciting! Though While I Have Only Experienced Halloween Once Before, I Can Confidently Say That It Is, Very Cool."

Blueberry twisted his skull to face Creampuff as he spoke, grin widening on his face and excitement flickering in his sockets. "Wowzers! That Does Sound Very Exciting!"

As the two continued to ramble to each other you slumped back in your seat, propping your legs up on the free seats beside you and gazing out the small window opposite you. Still not quite having reached the suburbs the view mostly consisted of trees and the odd sign but oddly enough the blurs of greens, browns and the electric yellow of a sign was hypnotizing.   
Despite the seatbelt digging into your side from the odd angle you were laying in, you felt yourself become quite relaxed. There was something about just being able to gaze at your surroundings and loose yourself to your thoughts that was calming. You allowed yourself to relax as you drove to whatever shopping complex Undick was taking you too, letting yourself ignore the fact that there was a certain fish in the front that you had oathed to dust for what they did to Papyrus and Sans. The scars the two bared was a constant reminder of her sins.   
Though while an alternate version of herself, you couldn't find it inside you to hate her any less. Perhaps it would be different if you actually had gotten to see what your world's Undyne was like first hand, but you hadn't. You had only seen the damage she left in her wake and and heard the stories told of memories burnt into the minds of those she'd encountered.   
Though while the smoldering inner rage bubbling under your calm exterior at the thought of the fish made you certainly very tempted to try and dust the monster, you also knew that this wasn't the same Undyne. It was enough for you to hate her, but not enough for you to dust her.   
Not unless she stepped out of line, that is. 

You were shocked out of your thoughts as the car came to a sudden stop, jolting forward in your seat. Peeking out the window you realised Undick had taken a sharp turn into a free parking spot, the rumbling of the car cutting out as she turned off the engine.

Three out of the six passengers in the vehicle (You can guess who) threw open their doors to eagerly exit the vehicle. As everyone crawled out of the car Creampuff lent back in to pull the seat in front of you down so you could crawl out too. Muttering a quiet thanks you jumped out of the vehicle, taking in your surroundings as Creampuff closed your door behind you. 

It was a sunny day, with a vast, spotless blue sky and you were sure the sun you were standing in was serving as protection from the autumn chill. You bathed in the sunlight for a moment longer until you idly noticed G take your side. You threw him a glance but he didn't say anything as the group began to eagerly head towards the shopping complex.

You lingered a metre or so behind the group and in turn, so did G as he matched your pace. Creampuff and Blueberry who kept up with Undyne and Alphys however, seemed blissfully unworried about you or your whereabouts (unlike certain skeletons you know). A ghost of a smile graced your lips as you felt yourself relax over the fact that you wouldn't be constantly surveilled while you were out with the group. 

Eyeing the group, you found Undyne and Alphys' grasped hands intriguing. Undick had to bend down slightly just to reach Alphy's hand, while the yellow monster's arm was practically held straight up in the air. Though it wasn't the height difference that intrigued you most about the pairing, rather, it was their personalities. Undick was loud and boisterous and from what you could tell Alphys was more reserved and shy, polar opposites. It was interesting, but what could you say? Opposites attract after all, you guess. 

"So, whats with you and Undyne?" You shifted your gaze to meet G's, who despite his relaxed exterior was evidently analysing your reaction. "Something happen?"

You locked eyes with G's golden eye-lights, searching his expression for a brief moment before looking back at the group in front of you. "Don't worry about it."

G fell silent, and though while the skeleton beside you was dangerously perceptive, he apparently knew when to refrain from using those detective abilities of his and know where his metaphorical nose wasn't welcome.

As it was a Wednesday afternoon the city streets weren't as busy as they would otherwise be and as such you weren't too concerned with loosing the group in front of you. Even if it were more crowded you imagined it would be hard to loose the group of monsters, several of which were inhumanely tall.   
If there was any real advantage of walking with monsters was that people naturally made way for them. Throwing G a glance you imagined to the ordinary person that perhaps he might have been considered intimidating- those scars weren't exactly shallow. You found it was easy to forget about people's appearances after having adjusted to monsters, especially the monsters in your own world, who were more then often mangled or distorted in one way or another. 

You glanced down at your hands, inspecting them idly. Little scars freckled the skin, probably the most prominent collection of them, seeing as you used your hands most often. Other then your bad ankle, you'd survived the underground relatively free from any kind of unrecoverable injury. You supposed you were lucky in that regard, though there had been plenty of times you were certain you were about to loose your arm or leg to the jaws of another monster. It was strange to think of the fear you'd experienced in those moments, the certainty of death, only to find yourself here, on the surface, alive and with all your limbs. 

Occupied with inspecting your hands you brushed shoulders with a passing stranger, cringing at the unexpected contact. Dropping your hands you refrained from shooting the guy a glare, instead clenching your teeth and shoving your hands in your pockets to stare intently at the path in front of you.   
Humans. It was strange to think that you were one. You'd dissociated yourself from them over time. You had too, you don't think you could have done what you have if you didn't. You were back up on the surface with 'your people', or at least an alternate version of them. You didn't like admitting it, but every time you look at one of them you still didn't associate yourself with them. It was unrealistically hard to view the passing faces possessing no emotional value to you as people rather than something that could be hunted. 

You clenched your fists. You didn't need to do that anymore.   
So just like every time you passed another human, you didn't think about it. 

Huffing a quiet sigh you let yourself relax even among the human prominent crowd. Your eyes flickered to your company, who had his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his leather jacket and faced away from you, staring straight ahead to keep Undick's group in his sights.   
Not too interested in starting a conversation you turned your head to do the same thing, silently following behind the group.

Not too far up ahead there was a relatively large grocery store in which Creampuff and Blueberry looked particularly interested in. Slapped across the glass were Halloween posters, mostly discounts of different sorts but it was enough to draw your group inside. The main group stopped just outside the entrance which allowed for you and G to catch up, completing the little circle the group had formed. 

"Now!" Creampuff cleared his throat dramatically, propping his hands up on his hips, "In Order To Maximise Our Halloween Productivity, We Will Need To Split Up Into Pairs!"

You didn't comment, instead watching as some mother holding her daughters hand and carrying bags in another exited out the automatic door shot a strange look over at your group. You didn't exactly care if you were split up into groups, glancing over to G you were sure he wouldn't mind following you around if he needed to. 

"That Is A Great Idea!" Blueberry encouraged, "Who Will Be In What Pair?"

You narrowed your eyes at the passing mother, uninterested in the infant being pulled along beside her. The red haired woman's gaze still lingered on your group, or mainly the monsters within your group with an expression that was close to a grimace. You didn't say anything, merely clenching your fists as your fingers began to twitch in your pockets. 

"Good Question! Well, You And G Can Be A Pair-," Wait what? Your eyes flickered back over to Creampuff, who had apparently elected G to be Blue's partner. Whatever. You could be with Creampuff instead. "Alphys And I Will Be A Pair-"

Your eyes widened.

"What?!" Undyne's exclamation made you jump, "But She's MY Girlfriend!!"

"Precisely! You Are With Her All Of The Time!"

Undick grimaced before the realisation slowly hit her.

"Undyne You Can Be The Human's Partner!" Creampuff grinned happily, apparently pleased with this arrangement. Undick's eyes slowly shifted from Creampuff over to lock with your own narrowed gaze. Okay, now you were having suspicions that this was done on purpose. Gaze flickering over to Creampuff who looked blissfully unaware of the tension between the two of you, you began to conspiracise about Creampuff's secret plot against you. 

After studying his expression suspiciously for a good few seconds you flickered your eyes back to Undick's sour expression. You grimaced. Arghh. You had the WORST luck. 

Nobody other then yourself and Undyne appeared to have any problems with the arrangement and as such the group prepared to head inside. "Very Well! There Is No Time To Waste!" Creampuff spun on the heel of his cherry red boots, "Happy Halloween Hunting!"

Everybody except you and Undyne entered in through the automatic doors. Instead the two of you turned to face each other and exchanging narrowed gazes. Coolly running a glance up and down the monster you scoffed, twisting to walk past Undick and enter the building. "Hurry up, fish."

Undick growled at your comment, twisted to follow and brushing past you to take lead. You narrowed your eyes at the monster's back but allowed her to take lead, snatching a basket on the way in. Most people still were at work or school and as such the shop wasn't overly populated, with only the occasional stranger populating the aisles.   
Looking around, there was...lots, of food. More then you remembered there being, but then again, it certainly had been a while. You were almost in awe if it weren't for the fact you were prepared. There was just so much food, lining the walls and stocked on cupboards. The thought that so much of this would be wasted...made your stomach churn uncomfortably. 

Suddenly Undyne took a sharp turn into one of the aisles in which you had to stop yourself in order for you to not walk straight past it before lazily following behind her. Your gaze burnt into the back of Undick's black tank top, a resting place for your eyes so that you could resist the temptation of ripping open the packets of food on display and indulging yourself. All of this food was making you so very, very hungry. 

The two of you halted as you hit the sugary section, Undyne stopping to critically inspect all of the Halloween themed treats stocked on the display. Standing a good few metres away from the stocky monster you also ran your eyes over the options, digging your nails in your palms as you felt your fingers twitch with the temptation to snag a bag and munch on its contents. 

You were startled out of your thoughts as new weight was dumped in your basket, twisting your head to find that Undick had picked out a good fifteen or so packets of a variety of chocolate and other gummy goods and had thrown them in the basket you were carrying. You looked over at the fish harshly to which she sneered. 

"What? Your Pathetic Human Arms Can't Carry A Few Lollies?"

"Tch, " you hardened your glare at Undick, "That's rich coming from you _Fish_ , considering that your gene pool is so pathetic that we put them in cans." 

Undyne glared daggers at you, rolling her shoulders and straightening her posture in attempts to intimidate you with her gigantic height. "Watch It, Human. I'm No Surface Fish, But I'm Certainly Familiar With Skewering People," she threatened coolly.

Narrowing your eyes you merely clenched your teeth in reply. The two of you took a moment to tensely size each other up before Undick scoffed and rolled her fishy eyes at you. "Whatever. Hurry The Hell Up, Human."

Spinning on her scaly heels she stormed off down the aisle and into another with you dawdling behind her. You past both Creampuff and Alphys on the way, in which the former waved at you as you passed, Undyne too upset to spare the two a glance. You met their curious gazes as they eyed Undick's scowl curiously. You merely shrugged in feigned innocence and sent them back a half-wave before ducking into the aisle Undyne had gone down. 

Running your eyes over the area, apparently you had entered the Halloween section, as cheaply made costumes adorned the walls and other spooky themed trinkets were on display. Spotting the plastic glow-in-the-dark meat cleavers you instantly thought of Sans. Grinning you let your fingers brush over the 'sharp' edge of one of them as you passed and headed down to Undick. 

Snagging a couple of pumpkin shaped baskets Undick twisted to dump them in the basket alongside the lollies. You eyed her curiously as she continued to look over through the kids section. Noticing your look she threw you a side scowl. "What? Toriel Asked Me To Pick Up Her Brats Some Crap For Halloween While We Were Out." Despite the harsh adjective there was a certain fondness in the fish's voice as she described the human children. 

You nodded quietly in acknowledgement running your eyes over the options on display on the opposite end of the aisle. Giving in to your temptations you snatched a packet of milko's and threw them in the basket when you knew Undick wasn't looking. After a few more minutes spent in that aisle, with you mostly eyeing the other sugary snacks on display and willing yourself to not pile them all in the basket too, Undick decided she was done here and left to leave without you. 

Walking in a pace that was just barely fast enough for you to not loose the fish the two of you maneuvered around the shopping centre. Both of you exchanged minimal conversation, the only real communication between the two of you being an exchange of dirty looks. 

Not too interested in the task you and (mostly) Undick were participating in, you let your thoughts wander. You didn't really have any plans for the rest of the day, or most days really. Other then the little arrangement you and your boys had about watching the sunrise and sunset everyday and sneaking out every Saturday and Sunday night, you didn't have all to much routine in your life. You didn't mind, you were used to never knowing what was going to happen next. You supposed it was better having a bit of spontaneous in your life. Kept things refreshing. 

Passing the frozen aisle you snickered, eyeing the frozen meats. Shifting the weight of the basket to just one arm you picked up a packet of frozen salmon, "Hey Undick!" You called, causing the fish's pace to stutter to a stop and throw a dirty look over her shoulder, "Look, it's you!" You waved the frozen salmon in the air for the monster to see with a shit eating grin of your own spread across your lips.

Undick eyed the fish angrily, clenching the teeth before spinning on her heel to close the distance between the two of you and glowering down at you. "Arg! Watch Your Mouth, _Human!_ Before I Make You EAT Your Words!"

You paused, narrowing your eyes up at the fish, debating whether it would be safe to provoke the fish further. Deciding that you were in a public place that it couldn't be bad, you let your sinister grin curl at the edges of your lips. "The only thing that'll be _eaten_ here will be you, fish," you replied coolly, "Y'know, i wonder what fish you'd taste like," you rolled your gaze up and down the fish's body, inspecting the leanness of her body and evaluating what type of fish she looked like. "Probably something great for eating- i mean look at all that meat on yo-"

"nnRGHAHH!" Undyne screamed in frustration, immediately drawing your attention back to her as you met her burning gaze. "You Know What? I Don't Care What Papyrus Thinks! I'm Going To Skewer You Alive!!!"

You paused, taking a hesitant step back as Undick summoned an aqua spear into one of her hands. You eyed the weapon warily eyes flickering to your side for a possible escape. "Heh," you mused half-heartily, "Now you've just ruined fish stick's for me."

In less then a second you found the spear lodged in the wall beside you, processing a moment later that you'd dodged the projectile before you could realise what exactly happened. The spear dissipated as another was summoned in Undick's hand, the fish shifting her stance into a defensive one in which you immediately mimicked. Crap, your eyes shot across the room looking for an appropriate weapon, jumping out of the way of another spear, this one lodging itself through a shelf. 

Grabbing one of the full sized frozen turkeys you lobbed it at the Fish's face, hitting her directly in the nose to which she grunted in reply before shrugging it off, glare intensifying as she shot a whole round of spears at you. Frantically looking around your location, you determined that there wasn't anything for you to defend yourself with. Nowadays you didn't carry weapons around with you like back in the underground, figuring if one of the skeletons at the house (particularly Classic) were to find you with it that it would only cause further tension. Determining that fleeing was currently your only option you dived out of the way of an oncoming spear and pushed your legs forward to sprint down the hallway, the fish with legs spinning on her heel to run after you. 

Rushing down the aisle you grabbed onto one of the display stands and knocked it over. Undyne, running far too quickly to come to a stop ran into it, tripping and ramming her fishy face into the ground. Huffing a laugh you stumbled to a stop, eyeing the end of the aisle and considering running away before your gaze flickered back to the fish who was already pushing herself back up with her arms.   
Not hesitating a second later you ran back up to the fish and raised a leg to knock the fish back down the a scowl. 

Perhaps you were just looking for an excuse to hurt the fish, maybe that was why you'd continued to provoke the monster. Perhaps that was why you kicked the monster while she was down. Either way, it didn't matter as your foot met with her face sending her rolling to the side and hitting her back on the shelves. She grunted, but before you could run off to find safety one of her fishy hands wrapped around your ankle and yanked it out from underneath you, sending you falling backwards and hitting your back at an uncomfortable angle. Grunting you found the fish on top of you, another spear summoned in her hands ready to skewer you, only for you to lift a foot and press it against her chest, forcing her off of you. 

Scrambling back to your feet you rolled your shoulders, ignoring the sting shooting down your back from where you'd fallen. Gritting your teeth, your eyes zoomed in to Undick, locating all of the vulnerable places on her body with clenched fists. A beat of silence past as the two of you calculated your next moves before you went to pounce at the fish only for something to grab you by the back of your collar and yank you back. 

Stumbling back from the unexpected force you glanced up to find Creampuff's disapproving gaze as he held you back, Blueberry now standing in between both you and the Fish as he and Alphys calmed Undick. Your heated gaze wavered as you met Creampuff's disappointed look, shifting your eyes to instead eye the ground intently.

"Human!" You bite back a wince, still glaring at the ground as you shoved your balled hands into your pockets. "What Were You Thinking?"

You didn't reply as your previous anger smothered out, instead gritting your teeth until they began to ache, trying to ignore the burning sensation of Creampuff's gaze on you, acutely aware of G just to the side of you studying the scene expressionlessly. You swallowed a scoff. You didn't need this not-papyrus telling you what to do. You could fight who you liked. It was your business- not his.

"Human," Creampuff repeated, this time more softly, "What Happened?" 

You didn't meet Creampuff's gaze.  
Goddamn it. You did it again didn't you? You got into trouble, _again._ Of course you did- all you ever do is get into trouble. Now that the anger had faded realisation of what you'd just done hit you. Anxiety clenched at your soul.  
Now what was going to happen? Classic would find out and things would only get worse for you, Sans and Papyrus. _All because of you._ You'd just barely managed to convince Toriel and Classic to let you live with your boys again but you had no doubt that Toriel wouldn't be very understanding this time. No, this time it was entirely on you. Over and over you kept letting Sans and Papyrus down because you kept letting your emotions and lack of self control get the best of you. Your teeth clenched painfully tight, nails digging into your palms.  
Fuck. You were the worst. Why'd you have to just be so, so _selfish?_

A gentle hand resting on your shoulder jolted you out of your thoughts, eyes flickering up to meet Creampuff's concerned gaze. Your heart stuttered in surprise at the unexpected emotion found in his sockets. "Human, It Is Alright. No One Was Hurt- You're Not In Trouble."

You paused, eyes boring in to Creampuff's before they flickered back down to the ground. Gently shrugging off Creampuff's hands you stiffly nodded. You felt Creampuff's gaze linger on you a moment longer before he exhaled dramatically, straightening to turn and consult Undick and the other two settling her. Watching Creampuff's boots as he left, your gaze flickered over to your side to meet G's who was standing unfazed with his hands tucked away in his jacket. Curiously he raised a bone brow at you in question to which you immediately shifted your gaze back away from him, instead returning to glaring at the floor. 

It seems the little Halloween Shopping trip was cut short after that as everyone immediately went to the front counters to pay for everything they gathered and prepared to head home. You almost felt guilty for ruining the fun if it weren't for your slightly hurt pride. You hadn't originally intended starting a conflict with the Fish, at least, not consciously. Blueberry and Creampuff looked quite eager for today and you felt the slightest tinge of guilt at the thought of ruining the special occasion for them. You'd had plenty of Halloween's in previous years, but this was Creampuff's second and Blueberry's very first. 

Guess you were just good at ruining things for people, huh?

You clenched your teeth, desperately trying to swallow down the hurt and self-pity tingeing in your chest. Forcing the feelings down you allowed your eyes to flicker around your surroundings. You were currently waiting just outside the store, where Creampuff had gently suggested would be best you waited while he and the others sorted everything else out. 

Crossing your arms over your chest you ran your eyes over the flyers and posters sticky tapped to the glass. Most were advertisement, some Halloween related, another about guitar lessons and another mixed martial arts class. Eyes wandering over the glass, your eyes halted at one sketchy, undecorated 'poster' that looked as if someone had typed out a few words on a word document, printed it out and slapped it across the glass.

_Help Wanted! Cashier position at service station on Ballarat rd. Night shift from 12-5am._

_No previous experience needed!_

_Monsters welcome!_

_Call 0417 --- --- if interested._

You eyed the shabbily made advertisement warily, taking a second to consider something to yourself. Noticing the group had finished inside and were beginning to head outside, you swiftly tore the paper from the wall, shobbily folding it in half and tucking it in your pocket. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry i took a while longer to update then usual, just been a bit busy. 
> 
> Looks like MC got to vent some of her frustrations by fighting Undyne, someone she has resented ever since she found out she was the one to hurt her boys (alternate version or not).
> 
> I wonder how Sans and Papyrus would react if they found out :/


	35. THE FRESH FOOD PEOPLE

You'd been mostly keeping to yourself ever since yesterday. The only people you really hung around were Pap's and Sans, of course, but even then you mostly took time to yourself. You were sure that at any moment Classic would appear in front of you and consult you about the Undyne incident, and kicked you out- for good this time. Though you had been hiding out in the sun room watching the day roll by you went without so much as a glance from him. In fact, you only caught a glance of him the usual times you did, during breakfast and lunch when everyone sat together. 

You were hesitant to relax, but allowed yourself to be less tense as the hours ticked by. Surely if Classic were going to confront you, he would have done it by now. Wouldn't have he?

You sat tucked away in the corner of the sun room, feet propped up on the couch beside you, hands tucked away in your pockets with your hood pulled up over your face. Not that it would do much to hide who you were, considering you were simultaneously the only human and female in the household.   
Nonetheless you kept it pulled up, the hood granting you the illusion of comfort as you hid behind the material. There was a small ache pulsing from your lower back, where splashes of purples and blues decorated the skin from yesterday's fall. You didn't pay any mind to it, instead opting to go on with your life. It was minor enough to simply be ignored, but probably the only reason why you weren't hanging with Sans or Papyrus as of the moment.  
You refused to lie to them about what happened if they found out about the bruise, but you equally didn't want to tell them about how you got it. You'd already almost blew your final chance with Classic, you didn't want to risk the boys reacting poorly to the incident and getting themselves in trouble.

You knew both Sans and Papyrus were sensible, but you also knew that when it came to you all sense was thrown out the window. You didn't want them having to face the consequences because they were trying to protect you. 

On the topic of consequences, you were beginning to slowly relax. It seemed Classic wasn't hunting you down and moments away from giving you a 'bad time' , but you couldn't help but wonder why. While not personally, you certainly knew Classic well enough to know that this wasn't something he'd let slide. But if he hasn't said anything would that mean... he doesn't know?  
No- surely Creampuff would have told his own brother of all people. Right? 

A sigh escaped your lips. There was no point dwelling on it. Unless you decided to do some investigating, there was no real way of knowing the answer. Shifting in your seat you tilted your head to rest on the window. The cold glass stole the warmth of your skin as the two surfaces made contact. A light shiver shook under your skin and crept down your spine, but despite the chill of where your face and window met, the warm clothing hugging your skin preserved the heat of your body , allowing you to sit as you were comfortably.   
Eyes shifting to settle on the fluffy grey's and whites peppering the sky you allowed the natural rhythm of your pulse to calm.   
Sometime today you figured it would rain, a rather serene occurrence in your own opinion. It was an ideal day to stay inside, and though while the majority of the household here generally had little consideration of your natural human sensitivity to temperature, it seemed someone had finally put on the heating, a toasty feeling slowly but surely settling within the house.

You appreciated the warmth. 

From the corner of your eye you saw a flicker of movement. You shifted your gaze and turned to face the newcomer, locking eyes with vaguely familiar ones. Green grinned politely at you, a book- different from the one you'd seen him with previously, grasped in his hands. 

"Good Afternoon Y/n," he nodded your way in greeting, before moving in a calm manner over to the seat across the room from you. You noted with mild surprise, that other then your own Papyrus, Green was the only other little-brother personality that referred to you by your name. 

You merely nodded back at him in greeting, allowing your eyes to linger on the skeleton as he sat down and pulled open his book. No doubt he knew you were staring at him, but he didn't seem to mind, gaze never flickering up from the pages in his book to shoot you a look. 

You weren't entirely sure what Green thought of you, while the others were more open with their opinions, Green just seemed polite to everyone. You squinted at the skeleton. He seemed alright, but the fact he was so hard to read was unnerving.   
Speaking of the newcomers, your thoughts rolled over to Green's brother as your gaze finally shifted away from the reading skeleton. G seemed particularly unfazed about the incident yesterday, if not curious about the whole thing. You wonder what kinds of things ran though his skull as he stumbled upon what had happened.   
It seemed that, just like his brother, it was impossible to figure out what was going on under that poker face of his. 

Another sigh formed in the back of your throat, waiting to escape it's confinement only to be abruptly swallowed when a particularly loud voice broke the silence. 

"Human! There You Are!"

You turned to find Creampuff in the doorway, grinning warmly at you. You quirked an eyebrow at the skeleton. Was he implying that he was intending to find you? You slid your legs off the seat and planted them back on the ground, preparing to get up. 

"I-" Creampuff's gaze flickered over to Green, who curiously looked up from his book to stare up at the skeleton in the doorway. "..If It Is Alright With You, I Wish To Speak With You," you paused as Creampuff finally added, "Alone, If That Is Alright?"

Oh. So that was what this was about. You shrugged, pushing yourself up from the seat and moving to approach Creampuff. Well, you weren't going to complain. You'd rather have this conversation with Creampuff over his brother any day. As you shifted towards Creampuff your gaze shifted over to where Green was sitting, only to find his gaze already on you, deep in thought. It took the skeleton a second to realise you were staring at him, and as soon as he did a polite smile spread across his teeth. 

Creampuff moved out of the way so you could escape out the doorway, where he then proceeded to turn and assumingly take you somewhere more 'private'. You followed him in silence, noting the subtle glances he would throw back at you from time to time, and from the way his expressions kept shifting you figured he was still coming up with what exactly to say to you.   
You allowed your eyes to wander the house as you were lead around the house and eventually upstairs. You were slightly curious to where he was taking you, at some point figuring he was leading you to your room, only for him to take a sharp turn and lead you down another hallway. 

That's when you paused. Creampuff halted in his tracks right outside a door that certainly wasn't your own. Creampuff didn't seem to think much of it, even as you turned to stare up at him curiously. His hand moved to twist the door knob and open the bedroom door, allowing the both of you inside before he closed it behind him. 

You fell silent. Creampuff shifted from his position by the door to instead stand by your side, allowing you a moment to take in his room.

...It was....It was so similar to Papyrus'- back underground, you mean. Hesitantly you took a step forward to inspect the battle figurines standing proudly on his desk, letting your fingers run across the smoothly made sheets of his cherry red race car bed, not a chip or crack insight, in a condition that could fool even you to think it was brand new. Except you knew it wasn't. It would be too convenient for the 'original' Papyrus to have bought a bed identical to Papyrus' on the surface. On further inspection, even the figurines look brand new, identical to the ones you knew Papyrus' had shoved away in a box and tucked under his desk. ("...Perhaps, I'm Too Old For Such Childish Things.." you had remembered him mutter to you one evening when you had stumbled upon them, noting the way his gaze flickered away from you, a certain sadness in his sockets as he struggled to keep up his wavering grin). 

"I See You Are In Awe Of My Room, Human!" You jolted, shifting away from the 'battle figurines' to turn and shuffle back over to Creampuff, who had his hands propped up on his hips and grinned proudly down at you. 

You shrugged at his remark, but that didn't appear to deter him. "Well, I'm Not Surprised. After All, I Am Very Cool," he lifted a hand to hold over his chest, "And Very Cool People Like Me Need Very Cool Rooms."

You paused, before nodding. "Yeah..it's... real cool." You wish you had gotten to see a time when Papyrus' room was like this. 

"Nyeheh! I Knew You'd Think So!" He grinned happily. 

You eyed the skeleton in front of you. He looked so much like Papyrus.... well, he is, Papyrus. You paused, hesitantly allowing a small grin to spread across your lips. Sure, he wasn't _your_ Papyrus, but he was still _a_ Papyrus. You couldn't help but be glad to see him happy. 

After a few beats of silence, Creampuff realised you didn't come here for idle chatter, and rather he had something to say to you, his expression shifted to a more serious one. Creampuff allowed his gaze to fall onto you, searching your expression for a few seconds before a gentle smile spread across his face. "Human," he began, "I Would Like To Discuss With About Your Incident With Undyne Yesterday."

You nodded.

"I Have Spoken With Her. I Assure You, She Has Also Received A Stern Talking To."

"From who?"

Creampuff paused, "Why, Me, Of Course." 

Creampuff was the one to scold Undyne? For some reason you felt like her 'stern' talking to couldn't have been all too 'stern'. You appreciated the gesture anyway, you guess.

"Anyhow! I Have Thoroughly Analysed The Situation Human, And Have Come To Find That Since No One Was Particularly Hurt-" Creampuff cut himself off, seemingly realising something, "You Were Not Hurt Were You?"

You shook your head 'no', surprised at the relief that spread across the skeleton's features. "Ah, Good! Ah, Where Was I? Oh Yes, Seeing As Nobody Was Hurt And No Real Damage Was Done I Have Chosen To Let This Incident Slide."

Your eyes widened. "Uh...what?"

"I'm Letting Your Mistake Slide Human!" Creampuff stated proudly, as if he was absolutely certain he was making the best possible decision. You weren't going to complain but... he really wasn't. 

You fell silent for a few moments, considering his words before your gaze flickered back up to his. "So your... your not going to tell...?"

"My Brother?"

You nodded.

This time Creampuff paused, and you felt a hint of anxiousness pulse in your chest, "Well, Of Course Not. I Trust And Love Sans Dearly, But I Do Not Know If He Would... React Well, To The Situation." 

You paused. He...wasn't going to tell his brother? The thought had crossed your mind but to you it just seemed so unlikely. You eyes flickered up to Creampuff, squinting in suspicion. Why exactly wouldn't he tell Classic? It's not like he had anything to lose. He hardly knew you, was hardly even friends with you- so why? Surely he must be getting something out of this? Did somebody else tell him not to say anything? Blueberry maybe? But why would he?

Furrowing your eyebrows, you shot the skeleton in front of you a stern look, "...What game are you playin' here?"

Creampuff's sockets shot open in surprise, "No! No!" He flailed his hands in panic, "That's Not It At All Human! I Assure You, There Is No Game!"

You gritted your teeth, still not being able to find any kind of logical explanation as to why he would do something like this. Sure, you knew Creampuff was a good guy- he was a closely related version of your own Papyrus after all, but actually going behind his brother's back? There was nothing you had done that granted that kind of favour on his behalf. "Then why?"

This time, Creampuff paused. He lowered his hands to instead fiddle with them in front of him. "Human...I've-.... I Know That Constantly Getting Into Conflict Is Not The Right Thing To Do..." You clenched your hands in your pockets- what was his point? "And I Know That You Have Had A Rough Start Here, Purely Because Of The Way My Brother Has Behaved."

You were tempted to interrupt the skeleton, snap at him, but you remained silent. Whether you originally intended to or not, you had accepted Creampuff's offer of friendship. You had already determined he was worth your time, so, begrudgingly, you would give it to him. He was giving you a way out, and you supposed it was best to not look a gift horse in the mouth. The least you could do was let him explain himself. 

"I Also Know That Things In Your Own Underground Were Not...Ideal." You winced. "But Human," Creampuff's sockets shifted from the ground to instead burn into your own, "I Have Gotten To Speak With You, Have Spent Time With You, And I Have Realised... You Are Not A Bad Person."

The words died in the back of your throat. 

Creampuff's posture straightened, as if he was suddenly filled with new confidence, "In Fact, I Know That You Are The Opposite! You Are A Good Person, Human!" His grin widened at the edges, "I Know That You Have Many Things To Work Out- But I, Your Great Friend Papyrus Shall Be There To Help You Through Them!"

He... he wanted to help you? You were frozen. You didn't know what to say or how to respond, so instead you stayed silent. 

"I Believe In You, And I Know You Are Capable Of Great Things, Friend," his words began to soften as the skeleton stared down at you warmly. 

You felt your heart clench. A spiral of emotions bubbled in your chest as you stood rigid in front of Creampuff. He shouldn't believe in you. You weren't all of these things he was claiming you were, but goddamn if the way he grinned at you didn't make you want to pretend you were. 

"And As Such, I Would Like To Give You Another Chance!"

This time it was your turn for your eyes to widen in surprise. "...What?"

"We Have To Go Grocery Shopping Today! We Planned To Pick Everything Up Yesterday, Though Our Time Was...Cut Short, So We'll Be Going Today Instead!" As Creampuff explained the situation to you, you still did't know what he was getting at, "I Would Like For You To Come With Us, Human."

You paused. "...seriously?" You were still skeptical. Sure, he was supposedly giving you a 'second chance', but so soon after your little fuck-up? It didn't seem logical, yet nonetheless, Creampuff nodded boldly and without hesitation. 

"Indeed! However, This Time I Assure You Undyne Will Not Be There, If That Makes You More Comfortable?"

He...cares about you being 'comfortable'?

....Heh. After a few beats of silence, you came to realise something. It seems, your Papyrus or not, you still have a soft spot for the guy. Hesitantly, you nodded, a pleased smile spreading across his face. 

"Wonderful!" He clasped his hands, "I Already Know That You Will Do Better In The Future," he grinned gleefully.

You grimaced. "Wouldn't count on that buddy..." you grumbled.

Creampuff straightened, propping his hands back on his hips to shoot you a stern look. "Nonsense! I Know That You Are Better Than This! You May Make Some Mistakes In The Meanwhile, But As Many Chances As It Takes, I Will Give Them All To You."

A lump formed in your throat, swallowing it harshly as you stared up at Creampuff with wide eyes. 

...maybe you made the right choice choosing to be his friend.

\-------------

You honestly didn't expect to find yourself out and about during the day so soon. Nonetheless, here you were, walking behind the small mob of skeletons as you entered the store. This grocery store was different from the one you went to yesterday, the place they went to regularly if the cashier who personally greeted each of them was anything to go by.   
You were a little surprised when the blue haired teen even greeted Edge and Black, even if they only scowled and glowered back at her. Unfazed, the cashier merely smiled as the group of you walked past, however, when her eyes landed on you, you could see the curiosity spark in her eyes. You didn't bother to throw her a wave or even a smile, merely running your gaze up and down her and shifting to instead stare back down at your feet. 

She looked relatively small, thin arms and scrawny legs. Not much of a threat. 

The group of you continued into the store, before the group began to break up and people began wandering in their own directions. You panicked, glancing upwards to try and locate where Creampuff or even Blueberry had gone off too, only to find them missing. You quickly scanned your surroundings, ducking your head around a few aisle in attempts to locate either one of them, but preferably the former, but coming up fruitless. 

You grunted in annoyance, returning to your original location by a crate of apples only to find that the rest of the group had disappeared too. Damn it Creampuff. When he offered to bring you along you didn't think he would pull something like this. Obviously the skeleton put too much faith in you. Heaving a sigh you aggressively shoved your hands in your pockets running your eyes over your surroundings as if looking around again would magically summon him. It didn't. 

Whatever. Swiping a mint green apple you spun on your heel to lazily wander the store. Guess you'd just have to hang by yourself. Maybe you'd join whoever you stumbled across first. Ducking into one of the aisles away from peeping employee's eyes, you sunk your teeth into the juicy apple. The satisfying crunch brought your teeth back to the apple for more as you trailed down the empty aisle, eyes flickering from item to item on display hungrily. 

You listened out for the loud voices belonging to one of the skeletons and easily picked up on a few, but didn't bother to pick up your pace to find them. It's not like you _had_ to follow them around. Why not just do as you like? It's obvious Creampuff doesn't have a problem with it. 

Finishing off the apple, you thought back to the cherry incident as you sunk your teeth into the apple core. You grimaced. This time, however, you knew that just a couple of apple seeds were completely harmless to you, and happily ate through the core until there was just a stem, before throwing that behind your teeth too. You imagined the traumatic experience that was the cherry incident would be something that permanently left you wary whenever you ate any kind of seed. 

Ducking down your third aisle since entering the building you found two people that you had to be particularly unlucky to have stumbled across. Black was the first to notice you, tilting his skull to get a good look as to who the random human staring at him was, before his scowl deepened at noticing it was you. "What Do You Want, Human?"

This comment drew Edge's attention to you as well, his own reaction eerily similar to his smaller counterpart's. His posture straightened as he turned to face you, crossing his arms over his chest.

Your eyes flickered back down from Edge to Black, before you shrugged. Black rolled his eye-lights, "Whatever. Do Not Bother Us Human."

The two turned back around to look over the options of different types of lasagna sheets. You didn't reply, merely standing from where you were a good five feet away from them and watched what they were doing. You could hear Blueberry's voice echoing around the store from a couple aisles down and you just about left to go bother him instead when you noticed another person in the aisle. 

From the opposite end of the aisle you were standing in was some old hag giving the two a dirty look. You hoped it was because they were arseholes, and not for any other reason. Nonetheless, you opted to stay where you were, squinting your eyes over at the little old lady. The grey haired woman shifted her gaze, a warm smile spreading across her lips as she locked eyes with you. She looked to have kind, green eyes but you didn't return the smile, instead staring blankly back at her. She seemed to get the message and turned around to mind her own business, unfazed.

A scoff from beside you drew your attention back to the skeletons, finding that they were done and were going to seek out whatever they needed next. "Still Here? Didn't Black Already Tell You Not To Bother Us, Human?" Edge scoffed, narrowing his sockets at you. 

Once again, you shrugged, a shit eating twitching at your lips at his annoyance. Huffing, the two merely brushed past you and continued on their way. What you're sure they weren't expecting was for you to merely trail behind them. 

As they noticed your presence you kept your mouth shut, not wanting a repeat of yesterday, but raised an eyebrow at them in feign innocence. Black halted in his tracks, turning around to face you with Edge doing the same, before throwing you a dirty look. 

"Human, MUST You Follow Us?" This time grinning, you shrugged again. Black's socket twitched, his grip on his basket tightening. "You Are Behaving Like A Pest! Stop Following Us!" He growled in reply, only getting cut of by Edge's scoff.

"You Say That As If It Isn't Already Vermin," he shot you you a cold look from down his nose. This time your grin faded, instead you gritted your teeth to hold your tongue. 

"Ha! You Are Right There, Edge," Black mused, eyeing you as he spoke, "And You Are Familiar What To Do With Vermin, Correct?"

A smirk crept up across Edge's teeth. "Why Of Course! What Kind Of Monster Would I Be If Wasn't Capable Of Such A Menial Task?" 

You could hear the underlying warning in both their voices as you squinted at the two. Now you were pissed. You weren't prey. You were a predator, and you hunted people like _them._

"A hunt, huh?" You interrupted the two, causing both of their skulls to shift to face you, a scowl spread across their expressions, "I'm quite familiar with getting rid of pests, actually," you mused darkly, taking a single step forward towards them, before making sure to pointedly run your gaze up and down them the same way an animal would when inspecting it's meal, "Maybe i could give you a hand?"

Black squinted angrily at you, taking a threatening step towards you until the two of you were less then a foot away from each other. You knew one wrong move and you'd have entered a confrontation as the two of you burnt your gazes into each other. Despite Black's pointedly smaller stature then your own, you didn't underestimate his ability. There was a certain look in his eye that told you everything you needed to know. He wasn't someone to underestimate. Ever.   
All the meanwhile this was happening the conversation you had with Creampuff was ringing in the back of your head. You'd just been given another chance. You couldn't screw up again, not so soon.   
Gritting your teeth you shot the skeleton a cold look. "Course not, just some friendly advice," you muttered insincerely. 

Black inspected your expression before huffing, taking a large step back and away from you. "That Is What I Thought," this time he allowed his own gaze to roll over you, "Pest," he spat, adding salt to the wound. 

This time he didn't say anything further and instead spun around on his heel so that the two of them could leave without you.   
Whatever. If you couldn't forcibly make them eat their words, then you could at least annoy the ever-loving shit out of them. As such, with a petty smirk spread across your lips, you once again, trailed behind the two. 

Ducking down another aisle it took them a few more moments to notice that you were still present. Edge glancing over his shoulder only to give you a dumbfounded look. No sooner was that look replaced with another scowl. However, neither said anything, opting to ignore you and continue with their shopping as you followed behind the two at a short distance, but you could tell from the dirty looks they shot you every now and then and how they continuously tried to lose you, that you were getting to them. 

Occasionally the two would manage to shake you, but then you'd simply reappear in whatever direction they weren't currently looking in. Whenever they made a twist or turn you'd be there, lurking from a distance, watching was a sinister look in your eye. Occasionally they'd stop to bark a few harsh words or threats your way, but you'd simply duck away before they could approach you and reappear somewhere else. You watched as the two grew increasingly agitated and antsy with your behaviour, unnerved as you slowly proved to them exactly who here was hunter and prey. 

It wasn't until you ran into Blueberry did you allow the two edgy skeletons to be spared from your sinister games. The small stature of the skeleton accompanied by your haste to keep up with the two edgier skeletons left you distracted enough to accidentally ram into the blue clad skeleton. Blueberry stumbled back, falling on his behind with an 'oof'.

You paused, allowing your gaze to wander down and meet Blueberries shut sockets. Hesitantly they peeled open once again, revealing swollen blue orbs that shot up to meet your gaze. For whatever reason, Blueberry seemed to relax upon finding it was just you. Almost as if he were afraid it were someone else....   
Yeah, none of your business, that's for sure. Slightly put off by the revelation, you took a second to regain your composure.

Noting that Blueberry was still on the ground, this time on his knees and picking up all of his spilled items, you realised you should probably do something instead of just awkwardly standing there. You eyed him picking up the food that was now on the ground, thankfully nothing was broken and as such nothing would be wasted. You wondered if you should help him pick the things up, but by the time you moved to help he had already picked everything up.   
That left him, you guessed. 

Hesitantly, you offered the skeleton a hand. Blueberry had proven himself to be alright company. You supposed it was the least you could do. The skeleton's eye-lights zoomed in on your outstretched hand, and for a split second you thought you had done the wrong thing, only to be reassured you hadn't when no sooner did Blueberry sweep up your hand in his own, a positively gleeful smile spread across his face. 

"Thank You Human!" He grinned, before dropping your hand. 

You paused, before shrugging. "I was kinda the reason you ended up on the floor," you replied dryly.

"Yes, But I Know It Was An Accident!" Blueberry paused, seemingly realising something, "Are You By Yourself?"

"Yeah?"

Blueberry looked shocked, "That Cannot Do Human!" He stated boldly, "Come! You Can Shop With Me!"

You paused, before hesitantly following after him. He seemed so unfazed by your presence. Hadn't he seen what you did yesterday? Why was he acting like nothing happened? Did he simply not care? You shot the skeleton a glance. Honestly, he seemed like the type to care _too_ much. 

"I Apologise You Were Left Alone This Entire Time Human," Blueberry continued to say as you matched his quick pace. 

"Uh. I was with Edge and Black, actually," you explained as the two of you ducked down another aisle. This one quite prominently filled with Mexican foods. He was looking for taco ingredients, probably, if the sole food Blueberry ever cooked was anything to go by. "..Aren't you alone, though?" You added after a few moments of contemplation. 

"Well, Yes. But This Isn't My First Time Here!" Blueberry stopped in front of one section, running his gaze over the options. "I Am Glad You Weren't Alone This Entire Time Though Human!" He paused, turning his skull to glance over at you, "I Hope That The Three Of You Got Along?"

You paused. You could tell Blueberry was genuinely curious. You momentarily searched his gaze, and having found no trace of implying anything, you merely shrugged. "You could say that."

Blueberry turned back around, throwing several taco shell boxes in his basket, before shifting down the aisle a couple metres to look through different types of salsa. "Ah, I See. Do Not Take It Personally Human, Edge and Black Are Like That With Everyone."

You were sightly put off by Blueberry's tone when he mentioned the two of them. It wasn't menacing in any way, but perhaps a little sour. A little odd in your own opinion from the lively skeleton. "..'m guessing you don't get along with them?"

Blueberry tensed, reaching out to carefully place several jars of salsa in his basket. "Well, I Suppose You Could Say That."

You huffed a laugh in surprise at the way the short skeleton mimicked your words. Blueberry's skull shot up to face you at the noise, smile widening at the edges, seemingly pleased. You quirked an eyebrow at the skeleton but he merely looked away before moving to locate the next desired ingredient. 

The two of you ended up walking together for the rest of the trip, you in relative silence as you listened to whatever Blueberry spoke about, only making the occasional comment to keep the flow of conversation going. As you already knew, Blueberry was rather outgoing, but you sensed there was more maturity to him then what met the eye. He didn't seem quite as naive as Creampuff. Then again, you were pretty sure he was still the older brother in his universe. You knew the personalities were swapped, but surely that doesn't mean that the ages are swapped too. Probably. You'd have to ask. Another time, maybe. 

The entire group of skeletons met up at the front counters one everyone was done, all lining up for the same blue haired cashier. The girl didn't seem to mind, making pleasant conversation with both Creampuff, Blueberry, Razz (who you just realised you hadn't really spoken to at all today) and even managing to force out a few grumbles from Edge and Black. 

As Blueberry was being served you stepped back to the side where everyone was waiting, ending up standing beside Edge, who glowered at you. You didn't say anything at first, simply allowing him to glare at you, waiting for him to relent. Except, he didn't. After a few minutes of his glare burning into your side, you finally shifted your gaze to shoot him an annoyed look.

"Something bothering you?"

"Why Yes. You."

You quirked an eyebrow at the skeleton. "Huh. Well, You're An Adult Right?"

Edge squinted his sockets at you. "Of Course," he replied lowly. 

"Great. Toughen the fuck up and start acting like one then, yeah?" 

Edge looked outright gobsmacked, as if he couldn't comprehend the audacity you had to have said something like that to him. Edge parted his teeth no doubt to tell you off, only for his jaw to clack shut again.

A grin crept up across your face. Good. At least he was smart enough to know you were right. 

The skeleton beside you gritted his teeth, continuing to glare at you before scoffing. "Please. I'll Show You Just How Much Of An Adult I Am, Human," he said coolly, drawing your attention back to him as you spared him a glance, "We'll See Who Here Is The Truly Childish One." 

"Heh, great," you said smugly. "Maybe take a long hard look in the mirror and you'll find them."

Edge scowled at you. You could tell there was a hundred unspoken words on the tip of his tongue but he remained quiet, if only to prove to you he was not as childish as you claimed he was. You smirked. You knew you had won this time around. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geez. What is it with Mc and constantly starting drama whenever she's in a grocery store? Must be a bad omen or something. 
> 
> Also, comment below if you get the title lol. 
> 
> heh, just watch me kill MC in a grocery store 


	36. INTERVIEW

It was still rather early in the morning, just after breakfast. As routine usually went, you and Papyrus found yourselves out among the thick forest circling Classic's particularly large house, checking traps. The two of you had trudged back and forth from the moderately sized shed beside the house, that was evidently used by no one except yourself and your boys. Together you spent the morning gutting, dicing up and packing away all of the meat you gathered. 

Your traps quite often caught something within it's jaws and as such you found that the household was never in short supply of meat. Though while you portioned the meat to only put inconspicuous amounts in the common household's fridge at a time, apparently it was enough for Creampuff and whoever else that did the regular shopping to cut down on the amount of meat they bought. No body seemed to really pick up on the fact that the meat they were eating was predominately buck and rabbit, but then again, after the majority of the cooks within the household were done with it, it hardly tasted like meat at all.  
It seemed that even though Creampuff, Blueberry and all their other counterparts had lots of experience cooking, none of them were very good at it. You found Papyrus and yourself were the household's only real saving grace in that field. Not that anybody had bothered to compliment either of you on it.  
Nonetheless, Papyrus, being the usual generous and helpful person he was, offered to further developed the other skeleton's cooking abilities.  
Perhaps now the rest of the household would graciously scoff down their food instead of forcing it past their teeth and shooting you and your boys wary glances as they obviously contemplated not finishing it. You found most meal times the three of you would end up eating most of the portions everyone else was served. It was a little ungrateful of them, but you supposed you appreciated that they thought to give it to the three of you instead of just wasting it.  
You certainly weren't on great terms with some of the household, but ever since the household found out about the famine, even Edge and Black hadn't wasted anything they've eaten. At least not in your presence. 

A branch cracked under your boot, snapping you out of your thoughts. Heart leaping in your chest, your eyes darted downwards to inspect the item, before your posture instantly relaxed upon realising it was just a stick. Huffing, you continued forward. Obviously you were much more tense then you thought. 

Currently you were by yourself. Papyrus had gone off to take care of the traps on the other side of the forest while you took care of the ones around here. Mud slushed under your feet, moisture still heavy in the air from last nights downpour. There was the odd chirp of a bird and rustling of leaves from the scampering critter, but otherwise it was mostly silent. You found it easy to relax among your surroundings, taking satisfaction crunching dead leaves under your feet and weaving through trees.  
There was a particularly bright red bird that had nested itself up in a tree by where your next trap was, snug between two thick branches with it's newly hatched young. It was a pretty little thing and boy did it look delicious, but you left it alone. As tempted as you were there was no point in taking in excess, not when you already had plenty.

Pushing past a low hanging branch in your way, your eyes drew to where the trap was located. Rope, completely invisible to any who weren't purposefully searching for it was hidden under an assortment of leaves and branches spotting the ground. You carefully danced around the rope from where you knew it was placed, only to be disappointed to find there was nothing caught. Your calm demeanour wavered for only a split second before you shoved down the disappointment.  
You didn't need more then what you already had, you knew that. You just couldn't shake off the disappointment and frustration every time you found an empty trap. You guess it was just one of those things that would continue to linger with you from the underground. 

Huffing, you took a moment merely to eye the layout of the trap, eyeing the spikes wedged in-between the roots of a large oak tree and the rope that would snag it's victim by the ankle and drag it into the sharpened points and towards an unsightly end. 

You were quite proud of the little set up. It was actually one of the traps you'd learnt to do on your own. Well, it certainly was Papyrus' design, but you'd gone through the trouble of triggering the trap to try and figure out how it worked without getting impaled yourself. At the time It'd been a good month or two since your fall underground, and it had finally gotten through to you exactly what it would take to make it underground.  
You didn't know Papyrus very well at the time, but from his reputation, you figured if it was anyone you were going to learn off, it was going to be him.  
Guess you made the right decision. 

A grin curled at the edges of your lips at the handiwork, it had taken you almost an entire year to perfect. First it was getting the spikes to stay in place, then hiding the ropes properly, then getting the ropes to actually drag whatever was caught to the right place. It was certainly more difficult than it looked. 

Figuring you were done here you spun on your heel to venture to the next trap, heart faltering. 

"Well, What Do We Have Here?"

You froze. 

A smirk curled across Razz's teeth as he took in the area, eye lights flickering over to the barely noticeable spikes wedged between the tree's roots then back to you. "Ah, I See. So This Was Why You Were Following Us."

You felt your body tense as the impact of his words hit you. Shit, he knew? Obviously he was more perceptive then you thought. You thought for sure you had evaded him.  
You paused your internal scolding to instead focus on the current situation. You currently were in potentially even bigger shit, everything else could wait. 

Razz's purple eye lights rested on your expression, seemingly searching. "So Tell Me Human, How Many?"

You paused. He wanted to know how many traps there were out here? You narrowed your gaze at the skeleton. You could always just soften the consequences by lying, but you had a feeling that you'd only be in deeper crap if he found out you weren't telling the truth. "17."

Razz took a moment before responding. You tensed as he cautiously took a footstep forward, then a few more to get a better look at the trap. He seemed to evaluate the spikes before squinting at the ground to try and trace the ropes with his gaze. He hummed, "Tell Me Human, Is This Your Work?"

You took a moment to flex your jaw, "Yeah," you replied, eyeing Razz warily. 

Razz tilted his skull to run his gaze over you, "Impressive." You felt yourself relax slightly at the compliment, though braced yourself for whatever else he had to say. 

"So, you follow me out here?"

A grin pulled at Razz's teeth, "Of Course Not! I Was Simply Taking A Stroll When I Happen To Stumble Upon Your Path."

For some reason, you didn't entirely believe the skeleton. "Okay," you cut to the chase, "So what do you want then?"

You were on alright terms with this particular version of Sans, though you were quite aware of his sinister nature, you had simply yet to experience it first hand. You were just hoping today wouldn't be the day. 

Razz paused to raise a bone brow at you, "It Seems You Have A Bad Habit Of Assuming Everyone Wants Something."

"That's because they do," you threw back blatantly. 

The skeleton opposite you chuckled at the remark. "Perhaps They Do," he mused, before returning his eye-lights to eye you, "It Seems You Are Quite Intelligent For A Human," you chose to take that as a compliment. "You May Know People Well- However, Can You Perhaps Determine Exactly What It Is That I May Want?"

You squinted over at Razz, eyeing the mischievous glint in his socket as he grinned smugly as if he knew something you didn't. "If I had to take a guess I'd say you were just bored and thought you might go out and bug someone to kill time."  
In all honesty, you had no idea what he really wanted, but from his expression, it didn't seem like anything you would benefit from. 

At your remark Razz's sockets widened in surprise, a moment later and he allowed a breath of amusement to escape through his teeth as he shifted his gaze away from you. "I Assure You Human, I Act With Purpose, Not For The Mere Intentions Of Bugging Someone!"

You quirked an eyebrow. "Really? Lame."

Razz boggled his sockets at you, baffled. "What?! How Is Not Wasting My Time With Such Childish Behaviours Seen As Lame? You'd Be Wrong To Think Of Me As Such. I Am The Furthest Thing!" he rebutted boldly, much to your amusement. You let your tense stance drop, crossing your arms over your chest lazily. 

"Ehh," you shifted your gaze away from the skeleton, "sounds kinda stuck up to me buddy."

Meeting his gaze you watched as they narrowed at you as Razz settled his arms over his chest similarly to yourself. "I'd Say That Perhaps I Was Wrong About You Being Intelligent, But Knowing Myself, I Am Never Wrong, And As Such, I'd Say You Are Merely Trying To Antagonise Me, Human."

You scoffed. "Took you a second, didn't it?"

Razz, obviously unimpressed with your comment squinted at you. Taking a step forward, he remarked, "I-"

The rope snagged under his feet, your eyes widened in shock, body jolting forward to quickly reach out and jerk him out of the way. A crack of the rope whipping past you broke through the air. 

The two of you fell silent taking a second to register what had happened. Holding your breath, you took a moment to analyse the scene around you, glancing over at the triggered trap, idly noting you'd have to reset it. Glancing down, your gaze met the top of Razz's Skull. One hand was holding Razz firmly by the shoulder from where you pulled him firmly into your chest and the other wrapped around his ribs to keep him in place. You were still silent as he still remained unresponsive. 

Hesitating a moment longer, you were the first to move, dropping the arm around him and using the other to push him back a step so the two of you could see each other face to face. "Heh. Careful there buddy. Don't have a container on hand to collect dust- and you know how I just, _hate wasting food._ "

Razz, apparently caught off guard by the trigger of your trap was finally snapped out of his daze at you remark, sockets widening before he took a second to regain his composure. "Well," he huffed, "You Are Quite Quick, Human."  
Two compliments in one day? Score. Now you were feeling confident for your interview later on. 

"Gee, thanks. Only had to save your life for you to realise."

Razz didn't reply, merely lingered his gaze on you, tilting his skull at you as if to analyse you, still half in shock. "It Seems...That Perhaps You Did Do Just That," he paused, "Human, I Will Not Be Telling The Others About Any Of This," you finally let yourself completely relax. You didn't know Razz very well, but he seemed like someone who kept his word. "But I Hope You Do Realise That This Puts You In My Debt."

You quirked an eyebrow. "Seriously?" you crossed your arms, "I literally just stopped you from being dusted."

"Indeed You Did, From A Trap Of Your Making."

You held your hands in the air in exasperation. "None of this would have happened if you didn't follow me!"

"You Followed Me And My Companions First!"

"Only because you were going to trigger a trap and get yourselves killed!"

"Yes, But Only Because You Put The Traps There In The First Place!"

Your jaw clinked shut as you narrowed your gaze at Razz. Damn it. He had you there. You huffed. "Yeah, okay? You win. Whaddya want?"

Razz grinned proudly at his apparently victory. "Nothing!" He exclaimed, "-Yet, Anyway."

"So, what? You followed me out here because you were curious?" You huffed.

Razz bobbed his head in confirmation. "You Are Rather Shady Constantly Lurking Around Everywhere Human. I Merely Thought I Would Go And See What You Were Up To."

You paused, before a sigh escaped your lips. You twisted on your heel to head over to the tree, standing on the tips of your feet to grab the rope hanging from branch to tug it back down and reset the trap as you chose to ignore the skeleton. From the corner of your vision you noted Razz's curious gaze resting on you as you turned around to put everything back in it's spot. 

"Oh, Could I Assist You With That Human?" You paused, twisting to face the skeleton to shoot him a curious look. "Haven't I Already Mentioned That Your Work Is Impressive? I Would Like To Learn Myself," he explained.

You gave the skeleton a look but he appeared undeterred. "Sure." 

Razz grinned boldly, marching over to you to gather the rope as you began instructing him on what to do. You weren't surprised to find he was a fast learner, he just seemed like the type. He took your half-arsed instructions in stride, apparently finding the activity thoroughly enjoyable. It seemed making traps and puzzles and other similar things was a common interest among some of the skeletons you knew. 

Another fifteen minutes later and Razz had fully reset the trap, watching his step as he escaped out of the danger zone to stand by your side with his hands on his hips to eye his work proudly. "Ah, It Seems You May Have To Be Careful Human, I Am Catching Up Quite Quickly!"

You rolled your eyes in amusement. "You're full of yourself."

Razz scoffed, "There Is A Significant Difference Between Being 'Full Of Oneself' And Simply Being Aware Of One's Own Abilities," he shot back, his grin unfaltering. 

You merely chuckled at the comment, mentally preparing to head over to the last few traps as the two of you fell silent. 

Razz took a second to appreciate the handiwork of the trap, before clearing his throat and turning to you. "Well, I Will Be Off Then Human." You nodded in reply, watching as he turned on the heel of his purple boots to leave. "Do Not Forget About That Favour You Owe Me!"

Seriously? You watched with mild annoyance as the purple clad skeleton disappeared through the bush. You'd have thought someone would be more grateful after having their life saved.  
...  
Whatever. 

You turned to head towards your next trap.

______

Okay, maybe now you were finally realising the importance of dressing well. You dropped the t-shirt in your hands onto the floor, sighing.  
People were meant to dress well for interviews, right? 

Staring down at your closet In distain, you merely huffed before pulling out your favourite hoodie and jeans. Whatever. That shady arse ad probably hadn't drawn in any other attention. Peeling off your Jacket you shrugged on your new clothes, before twisting around to find your socks and shoes. 

After the shopping trip with Papyrus- the one with Edge and Black, not Undick, you'd given the number on the ad a call and somehow worked out an interview time suited to your schedule. That being nine o'clock at night. Place must be super desperate. 

Dinner and sunset had long since passed, and as it wasn't a Saturday or Sunday night, you and your boys weren't going out to do anything. It was convenient that they were available at this time, seeing as you weren't doing anything else and couldn't exactly waltz out of the house in broad daylight. Not without Stretch or one of the other housemates babysitting you.

Falling back to sit on your bed you crossed a foot over one leg to slip on your shoes, running your gaze around the room for anything you might need. Reaching over to grab your phone from the bench side table and tucking it away in your pocket, you noted that you didn't have anything else to bring. No wallet, no I.D, no resume. Nothing.  
It was a big reminder that you were quite literally out of this world. Someone who didn't belong in this universe, who shouldn't exist here.

Dropping your feet back to the ground, you pushed yourself back to your feet to turn to leave.

"Where ya' going?"

Your heart jumped in your chest as your eyes locked with Sans', who stood In the doorway, hand clasped harmlessly around his axe, held by his side where he always kept it.

"Out," you replied as vaguely as possible. Sans narrowed his sockets at you. You gritted your teeth. You already knew he wouldn't accept that answer.

"Where?"

"...Interview," you mumbled, tucking your hands away in your pockets as you refrained from dropping Sans' gaze. 

His sockets widened at your answer, "...What?"

" 'm going to an interview. Ya'know, to get a job?"

Sans' brows furrowed, gaze burning into you as he took a few quick steps so he was within arms distance from yourself. "No."

Your eyes shot open, "What?"

"You're not going," he replied simply.

This time it was your turn to furrow your brows. "Why not?" You questioned stubbornly, meeting Sans' gaze head on. To anyone else his expression would have been positively terrifying, but this was Sans, _your_ Sans, and you knew that never in a million years would he hurt you. 

"Not your job."

You weren't entirely sure what he meant, shooting him a confused look. "Sans, just let me help out for once," you pleaded, "You guys do heaps for me, let me do something for you."

Sans' grin tugged down at the edges, spare hand twitching before snaking up his body to give his socket a sharp tug. "Do something for me then, peaches," he growled, "and stay here."

You met Sans' gaze defiantly, before a sigh escaped your lips, "Why won't you let me do this?"

Sans' furrowed his bone-brows, "Cause ya don't need to work for us peaches. I can work- I _should_ work. I can do it if money is what your worried about."

You studied Sans' gaze. He seemed quite insistent on this, but he knew very well from experience how stubborn you could be. Why wouldn't he just let you do this? You knew his intentions were in the right place, but you needed to do this. You couldn't just survive and rely off of Classic and his household, you and your boys had to have some sort of independence from Classic.

"Sans, I'm serious. Trust me with this, please." You returned the burning gaze right back as the two of you simply stared at each other, debating with each other wordlessly. Sans' gaze challenged your own, the swell of his red eye-light increasing as if egging you on. You stared back just as intensely, never letting your gaze waver to show how serious you were about this.  
Sans was over-protective sometimes, but he trusted you and Papyrus more then anyone. All it took was for you to show you were serious and you knew he'd relent. 

After a few minutes of tense silence with the two battling each other with your gazes, Sans gritted his teeth, fingers twitching beside him. "....Fine." he relented, "But i'm comin' with ya. Paps too." Relief flooded through you. You knew you could be stubborn but Sans could be even more so when he was determined about something. 

After a moment you quirked an eyebrow at the comment, before huffing a laugh. "Yeah sure. I would have let you come anyway," you grinned. Sans' gaze flickered down to your smile, visibly relaxing.

"....sorry." He admitted after a few seconds of silence. 

You grinned lopsidedly at the familiar skeleton. After eyeing him momentarily, you moved forward to slide your hand casually into Sans' to drag him along behind you, "Yeah, whatever. Let's get Papyrus and go."

The two of you escaped out of your room, swinging the door shut behind you before turning to go and knock on Papyrus' door, feeling only a small ping of guilt knowing that you would be waking him up. You paused a moment after your knuckles met Papyrus' door, suddenly aware of Sans' phalanges slipped in-between your fingers of your free hand. It was a gesture the two of you participated in commonly, but for whatever reason, you seemed unusually aware of your hand gripped in his as he ran his thumb over your knuckles. 

A moment later, Papyrus voice called through the door telling you that he was coming, and only a second later the door was pulled open, where Papyrus and all his greatness stood, still in his pyjamas but looking as wide awake as during the day. "Ah! Y/n! Brother!" Papyrus greeted the two of you warmly, bending over to ruffle your hair tenderly and nod in greeting over at his brother. "I Am Glad To See The Two Of You, As Always," he informed the two of you as he stood back up at his full height, the top of his skull cut off by the doorframe. "Is There Something The Two Of You Need?"

Sans remained silent by your side, gaze boring into the side of your face. You took that as a sign that you'd be doing the explaining. "I'm going out to a job interview Paps'," you answered, being conscious to speak quietly.

Papyrus' sockets shot open in surprise, "My!" Papyrus paused, aware of his volume and proceeded to speak quieter then usual, "Would You Like Me To Come With You? I'd Love To Go."

You grinned and nodded. "Yeah Paps, that's why we're here."

A grin pulled at Papyrus' teeth. "Oh Good!" he replied back in his usual volume. "Well Then, I Will Go Get Ready! Feel Free To Meet Me Outside!"

You nodded in confirmation as Papyrus turned around, closing his door behind him to assumingly go and get changed. You glanced over to Sans, whose gaze was still on you, you turned to go and head downstairs and outside, pulling Sans from behind you. 

As there were still people up and about the household, the two of you were cautious to wander the hallways as soundlessly as possible, before escaping out the back door of the house. The two of you circled around the building to wait for Papyrus by the front door, away from the windows. 

It was a particularly bright night outside. Bright enough that one wouldn't need a torch to illuminate the night for them to see. As the two of you waited just in front of the front veranda you tilted your head up to gaze up at the stars, you watched as Sans' mimicked your actions from the corner of your gaze. 

With the moon so bright it was harder to see the tiny flecks of light sprinkling the black oceans of the night sky, but none the less you ventured the inky void above with your gaze, exploring everything within your view and capturing each star within your memory. You were so very, very happy that you had Sans and Papyrus here, on the surface, to see the stars with you. 

You were brought out of your awe-struck daze as Papyrus was suddenly by your side. You tilted your head up to flash him a grin, in which he pleasantly returned. "Oh, I Am So Glad For You Y/n! A Job! I Always Knew You Were Very Responsible- Unlike Someone," he shot a look over to his brother who sheepishly shifted his gaze away from Papyrus' as the three of you began to walk, with you taking lead. 

You huffed a laugh at Papyrus' apparent excitement for you. "It's an interview Paps', I haven't got the job yet." 

Papyrus merely scoffed In reply to your remark, "Please! They Would Be Wrong Not To Choose My Human For The Job! Who Would Be Better Suited Than You?"

A toothy grin pulled against your lips, amusement bubbling in your chest, "You don't even know what the job is yet."

"I Do Not Care! I Just Know That You Will Excel At It!"

You flushed at the comment, sheepishly shifting your gaze away from Papyrus. "Heh. Sure, Pap'."

Papyrus grinned proudly, taking a moment to meet your gaze before directing his gaze back in front of him. The three of you continued forward with your direction. You knew the way into the city, but the rest of the way you'd need to follow the GPS on your phone for.  
It was a relatively short walk into the city, as by now all of you were used to the trip and knew exactly where to turn and continue forward. Along the way you noted Papyrus purposefully avoided the neighbourhood you previously went on a skeleton smooching spree in, grinning to yourself at the realisation.  
The entire trip Papyrus boasted about you, as he was apparently thrilled at this turn of events. Even as the three of you stopped out front a shady looking service station in the poorer parts of the city, Papyrus' proud grin never faltered. 

You felt yourself become increasingly confident with Papyrus' support and slapped a casual grin across your lips. You knew that despite both Sans' and your little conversation earlier, Sans was here to support you too. He was merely wary of such a big change. He was uncomfortable with new scenarios, having lived in conditions that was constantly one single routine he'd forgotten how to react to new things. All it took was a bit of a nudge from you or Paps and he'd relent.  
You just had to show him everything would be fine. Sans trusted you, that's the whole reason he was letting you do this, he knew you could take care of yourself without him having to worry over your safety. Once he got used to the idea of you working he'd stop fretting.

Knowing that, you strode through the empty parking lot and through the automatic glass doors. One of the lights flickered as the three of you walked in, but at least the roof was high enough so that Papyrus didn't have to hunch over. An assortment of different items lined the shelves of the store, chips, lollies and cheap energy drinks. Your eyes ran over them hungrily but you pried them away before temptation could get the best of you. Instead your gaze flickered over to the guy lazily hunched over by the counter, blinking away sleep as he rested his head in his palm.  
As your eyes met he quirked his eyebrows at you in question, and after giving what was visible of him a once over, you marched over towards him with Sans and Papyrus in your stead. 

The brunette didn't bother fixing his posture as you approached, instead just eyeing the three of you warily as you approached. You stopped as soon as your feet hit the front of the counter, but the male- or as his badge stated- 'Anthony', merely stared up at you from his slouched position.

"Ya? Something I could get for you?"

Hesitantly, your gaze flickered over to behind the counter, inspecting the area that wasn't visible from the entrance. This place was a little run down, but otherwise it was in relatively good shape. Sure, there was a half-broken light and a couple of shabbily boarded up windows, but otherwise the interior of the store was relatively clean. You wouldn't mind working here. Though, then again, you were a little desperate for cash. There wasn't much you wouldn't do. 

"Uh, I'm here for the interview?" You replied sheepishly, wringing your hands in your pockets nervously. This would be your first job interview, you'd hate to screw up and not get accepted, especially somewhere as desperate as this place.  
Anthony visibly perked at your announcement, relief twisting across his face.

"Oh! Great!" He grinned, standing up straighter, "Well, come with me out back and we can get the papers sorted."

Glancing over to Papyrus, he seemed perfectly fine with the whole ordeal, bobbing his head at the human and turning to follow him. Shifting your eyes over to Sans, however, you found his sockets squinted as he stared down Anthony. You nudged him in the side and his gaze shifted back over to you, shooting you a curious look as if you hadn't caught him eyeing your potential employer like prey.  
Huffing a laugh you tugged Sans behind you, following Anthony's direction out to the backroom past the 'employee's only' door. 

Glancing around, you found a small kitchen, sitting area and another door leading to what you assumed was Anthony's office. Running your eyes around the room, the area looked relatively bare. You took that as a sign that there were few, if any other employees working here.  
Papyrus marched over to Anthony's office, holding open the door for everyone as they wandered through before closing the door behind everyone.  
You wondered why this place was so short staffed. This building certainly wasn't new, and one person couldn't run a service station by himself. Sure, this was located in a rather shady area of the city, but surely there had to be a reason this place didn't draw more attention? Taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of Anthony's desk, you allowed yourself to eye the male in front of yourself as Sans took a seat beside you, Papyrus opting to instead stand by your side.  
Anthony, or your potential boss, was dressed casually in a white t-shirt and jeans. Tattoos ran up and down his left arm and crept up his neck and golden spikes stood out boldly in his ears. The guy looked like he sold drugs on the corner of a street for a living, but from the lazy smile spread across his lips he certainly didn't appear to be any threat. He didn't seem like someone cruel enough to scare away employees, so that wouldn't explain why there was a lack of them here, but then again, you didn't really know him, did you? 

You were brought out of your thoughts as the male cleared his throat into his fist before dropping his arms back onto the table in front of you, pushing papers in your direction. "Alright, so, I will be needing your name and contact details-" he stated, reaching over the table to point over to where you needed to write down the required information. "Then you can read over a few things before signing an-"

"Wait." All three heads in the room twisted to look over at Sans, who was sitting on the edge of his seat, the fingers curled around the handles of his axe twitching, with his bone-brow furrowed as if he was trying to figure out something difficult. "That's it?" 

Anthony paused at the question, before sliding back in his seat to scratch the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh yeah." He shifted his gaze over to the wall away from everyone, "I'm kinda short staffed if you hadn't noticed, and at this point I'm willing to take anyone."

All three of you eyed Anthony. Papyrus with curiosity and Sans with suspicion. You took a moment to think over the situation before shrugging. "Yeah, sure." Sans looked over at you. 

Your gaze flickered down at the paper where you filled in your personal details, taking a moment to read through the contract thoroughly, before moving your eyes back up to Anthony. "What's the pay?"

"$19.52 an hour."

You nodded, glancing down at the paper to confirm what he said. "From Monday to Thursday 12am-5 in the morning, right?"

Anthony nodded. "Yup."

You paused, glancing over to your boys. Both looked over at you expectantly. The final call was yours. Not hesitating any longer you grabbed the pen and jotted down your signature. A pleased smile spread across your new boss's face as he leaned over to grab the contract once you were down with it, giving it a quick inspection before settling it down in front of him. "Well, looks like we're done here then, hey," he paused to flicker his eyes back to the contract, "Y/n?"

You bobbed your head in agreement, moving to stand up as he did. Anthony offered his hand to you to formally finish the meeting. Your eyes flickered down to the offered hand, before hesitantly you pulled free a hand from your pocket and slipped it in his to give it a brief shake, before quickly returning it to its resting place. 

"Is that all?" You questioned.

Your new boss grinned at you, "Yup! See ya Monday, yeah?"  
You nodded once again as Sans joined your side once more. "Sure." Standing awkwardly in each other's silence for a few seconds, you took that as your que to leave. Sheepishly you spun on your heel to leave, your boys not hesitating to follow behind you.  
As soon as you stepped out of the buildings front doors, the cold breeze of the night hitting your face, you found yourself being showered in warm praise once again from Papyrus. You huffed in embarrassment as he went on to say he wasn't surprised in the slightest that you were hired on the spot. 

Your soul thrummed happily in your chest on the walk home, comfortable walking between Sans and Papyrus as the taller of the two continued to sing praises. You weren't entirely sure you believed everything Papyrus claimed about you, but it was fun entertaining the idea. 

You kind of didn't believe it. It was definitely strange that you got the job immediately, and you knew that sooner or later you'll find out whatever catch that came along with this deal. But for now, however, It looks like you finally got yourself a job. Your very first one no less. This Anthony guy that was supposed to be your boss looked like an interesting character and you had no doubt things would be, very, interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking longer then usual to update, but on the brighter side- MC finally got a job! Working night shift at a really shady service station. 
> 
> What will happen if it gets out that MC has a job now? And what exactly will Razz be using that favour for? 
> 
> Also, don't think I have forgotten about Muffet! Expect more spider fluff in the near future! But also prepare yourselves for a whole lot more angst. After all, tragedies make the best stories.


	37. SPIDER'S KISS

Halloween decorations were strewn around the household. Creampuff, Blueberry and all of the other more excitable skeletons have been at it all morning. Cotton spider webs were stuck in the corners of rooves. pumpkins were being laid out to get ready for carving, warning tape was being hung from trees and certain inventions previously made by the puzzle building skeletons were being set up. You were pretty sure the one Black put out in the front yard would decapitate a person, but it was pretty obvious as to where it was, so it wasn't like anyone would accidently walk into it. Though despite all of these decorations there weren't any additional skeleton themed objects because, well, there were already enough skeletons as there were.  
Though while each decoration varied in shape, size, and theme, the overall design seemed to be well thought out, as so far everything was looking pretty good. 

You didn't say anything as Blueberry bounced past the bottom of the stairs in which you were standing in front of, lugging in two pumpkins half his size towards the dining room, where they were going to be carved. His gaze flickered over to you as he past, grin widening at the edges. "Hello Human!" he greeted, before dashing past.  
It seemed Blueberry and his more excitable counterparts were really going all out. Even the front yard was completely decorated, despite the fact the nearest house was a couple of kilometres away and there wouldn't be anyone else coming around to see it. 

Forcing your hands further into your pockets your eyes followed Blueberry as he came back from the direction he went in to dash back outside to Creampuff's car, where all the pumpkins were currently waiting to be unloaded.  
Halloween was just a couple days away and it seemed everyone was as eager as ever to prepare for the holiday. Well, mostly everyone. Some of the lazier skeletons didn't seem to really care, or only really helped out when their brothers ask them too. 

Your eyes paused when Blueberry did,- stopping right in front of you. He hesitated a moment before twisting on his boots to face you. "Human," he propped his hands on his hips, seemingly contemplating something, "You Do Not Seem To Be Doing Anything- Would You Like To Carve Pumpkins With Me And The Others?"

You didn't reply straight away.  
Blueberry currently wasn't wearing his usual attire, instead a cropped white shirt with quickly scribbled 'cool dude' written across it hung off his bones, along with skeleton fitted shorts. Most days the more excitable skeletons would wear their signature battle outfits, but you'd noticed that on the odd day their attire would change up a bit. Other than Blue's shirt and shorts he still sported the crinckled and well loved blue bandana and boots he always wore. Guess it was his signature of sorts. Well, a bit of personal flair never hurt anyone.  
Your eyes returned to Blueberry's sockets as he tilted his skull at you in question, seeing as you had taken a few moments too long to answer. 

"What are you doing with the insides of the pumpkins anyway?" You inquired curiously. You weren't opposed to carving pumpkins with them, you would simply be more comfortable knowing exactly what was going to be done with the left overs.

Blueberry briefly hesitated, "Oh! Um- I Do Believe We Are Giving The Filling To Toriel! Though While I Haven't Tried It Myself, I Hear She Makes A Wonderful Pumpkin Pie."

You bobbed your head in acknowledgement. You'd have to try it sometime then. The relationship between you and Toriel was awkward at best but her cooking was delicious and you knew that she was never opposed to others eating what she made. She seemed quite flattered whenever someone did, actually. Well, that's what you'd gathered from when you insisted on not only finishing off but licking clean the pan back when you were staying with her.  
"Yeah alright. I'll come carve some pumpkins with ya. Can't promise I won't eat any though."

Blueberry's grin twitched upward, a brief chuckle escaping past his teeth, "Well I Suppose A Little Won't Hurt! There Is Plenty After All! Just Do Not Eat Them All."

You grinned. "Can't ensure anything, but okay." Blueberry raised an bone-brow at you in amusement and you grinned playfully in return. "You need a hand getting all the pumpkins outta the car?"

Blueberry chose to take a gamble by trusting you to not eat all of the pumpkins, dropping the subject to instead answer your question. "That Would Be Appreciated Human," he grinned.

You shrugged, before twisting to head outside to the car. Blueberry didn't hesitate to quickly join your side. His pace was naturally faster then yours, considering he seemed to have boundless amounts of energy, however he slowed down to fall into step with you. You appreciated that you weren't forced to rush. You were quite lazy, when you wanted to be.

The two of you walked side by side down the hallway, passing the lounge room where Creampuff and Papyrus were putting up candles on top of shelves and on coffee tables. You weren't entirely sure why someone would need so many candles in one room unless there was a blackout, but you supposed they went with the whole spooky theme. Kind of.  
Slinking past the open doorway Creampuff caught your eye. He perked up as your eyes met but before you could throw him a wave you'd already walked by.

You didn't bother stopping to go back and say hello, instead following Blueberry who now took the lead.  
The two of you wandered outside and located Creampuff's cherry red convertible. It was a little before lunch and you could already feel the constant nipping in your stomach intensifying. You weren't sure what was on the menu but all you did know was Edge was the one handling it and he wasn't making lasagne.

Eyes settling on the red convertible, you're almost overwhelmed by the pure amount of pumpkins lounging against the sleek leather seats of the vehicle. Blueberry didn't seem to think anything of it, but then again, this would be his very first Halloween.  
There was a least twelve, which wouldn't be all that big of a problem considering how many people were going to be carving pumpkins, except these pumpkins were absolutely gigantic.  
Were monster pumpkins a thing? Because if so, these definitely were not normal pumpkins. 

You approached the car only mildly wary. Blueberry skipped over across the gravel of the driveway, pulling open the car door to reach in and hug two of the most massive pumpkins you'd ever encountered to his chest and tuck them under his arms. With a huge grin he adjusted their weight before turning around to stare at you expectantly.

Well, if Blueberry, someone considerably smaller than yourself, could carry two of those with seemingly ease, then you figured that they couldn't be as heavy as they looked. Besides, you weren't frail armed- especially now that your body had food to run on. You could probably lift three at this rate. 

Not hesitating any longer you shifted your feet underneath you towards the car, sweeping your eyes over the selection of pumpkins. All of them were large but there still was a slight variation in size. Deciding to play it safe you opted for one that wasn't particularly small but didn't appear too heavy either.  
Pleased with your selection you bent over the car door, reaching out and curling your arms around one. You'd pick up a couple more once you had this one firmly in your grip. 

Maintaining a firm grip on the pumpkin you bent back to pick up the large vegetable.

…

holy.

shit.

Your arms immediately wavered. The pumpkin slid from your fingers but in quick reflex you quickly re-caught it between your stomach and knees. You heart pulse wildly. Holy crap. You almost dropped it. Why the hell was this thing so friggin heavy?!

Your eyes flickered over to Blueberry, who was watching you patiently with a warm grin spread across his teeth. 

You paused, watching the skeleton. Blueberry stood comfortably with two of the pumpkins tucked under his arms, no sign of tiring out any time soon.  
Your gaze flickered back to your own pumpkin, smaller than just one of the pumpkins he was carrying.

HOW FUCKING STRONG WAS THIS GUY?

You huffed in frustration, hugging the pumpkin closer to you before standing back up straight. Blueberry perked as you spun on your heel to head back inside, skipping to your side, a bounce in his step as he walked.  
You threw him a wary glance but he didn't seem to notice, holding the front door open for you despite the two pumpkins tucked under his arms and even going as far as closing it behind the both of you. 

On the trip to the dining room, you threw cautious looks over at Blueberry. You weren't entirely sure if you should be concerned over this apparent strength.

You shifted your eyes over to Blueberry once again, only this time he tilted his skull to give you a cheeky grin. You tensed under his amused gaze. Obviously he'd been aware of your 'subtle' glances, you were just thankful he didn't question it.  
You quickly shifted your gaze away from him, feeling his own gaze lingering on you for a moment longer before returning back in front of him. 

You silently kept to your thoughts for a few moments, avoiding moving your gaze back to him.  
Okay, so what if this guy was impressively strong? You'd known him for long enough to determine he wasn't hostile anyway.  
You allowed yourself to not dwell over it. It wasn't all that big of a deal anyway.  
You glanced back down at your own pumpkin.  
Okay, maybe your ego was a little bruised- still not a big deal.

Walking passed the living room you forgot to flicker you eyes back to Creampuff and give him a wave, Papyrus too, considering he was there with him.  
Originally you'd been a little stand offish with Creampuff, as it was a little eerie being around someone so similar to your own Papyrus, yet in a much better condition. It was like looking at 'what could have been'. You'd since discovered that similar or not, alternate version or not, they were still their own people.  
You'd accepted Creampuff's friendship, and though while you still less then liked his brother, you were determined to treat him like a friend.

You were uh, just hoping that 'friendly' behaviour here was the same as back underground. It had certainly...been awhile, since you last could call someone other then Papyrus or Sans a 'friend'. You'd progressively fallen out of the loop of what was socially acceptable over the past few years.  
So far you hadn't managed to totally screw anything up, so you assume you're on the right path. 

Idly the two of you entered the dining room, passing the kitchen, where Edge was by the counter, sharpening all of the carving knives. Your eyes fell down the long blade held firmly in his hand as he ran it across the sharpening stone, silver sparking as it slid across the stone smoothly.  
Most nights and occasionally mornings you would help out in the kitchen. What started out as a chore has since become routine. Over that time you'd slowly adjusted to the sight of so many sharp objects while in the proximity of so many others. That didn't prevent your fingers from curling in morbid curiosity as your eyes ran across the slick edge of the knife.  
That'd slice through meat so easily. 

You shivered in a mixture of delight and disturbance. Delight at the thought of food, disturbance, because of what you'd previously used such a fine knife on- or who, to be more accurate. 

You hadn't realised you'd frozen until Blueberry spoke to you.  
Awareness of your surroundings flooded back to you. Your eyes flickered back up from the knife, only to meet Edge's sockets, who had paused his sharpening to instead smirk smugly at you from where he was standing in the kitchen.  
You quickly adverted your gaze back to Blueberry, who stared at you in mild curiosity and concern. 

"Human, Are You Alright?"

You paused, then nodded. Yeah, you were fine. Sometimes you just got carried away dwelling on a particular subject.  
Blueberry stared at you a moment longer, contemplating to himself, before accepting your answer and twisting back around to carefully place the Pumpkins on the table. 

After that you found the next few hours of your day proceeded quite smoothly. Blueberry did well in getting you into a more chipper mood. It seemed being around the skeleton too long rubbed off onto you, until you were forced to be in a good mood.  
As everyone carved their own pumpkins you ended up having to teach both Papyrus and Blueberry how to carve out the classic pumpkin design. Later on even Green wandered in, and he ended up slipping off his gloves (revealing two concerningly perfect circles in his palms) and attentively following your instructions. You offered to teach Creampuff, but turns out he, Razz, Edge and Black were having a bit of a competition on who could carve the better pumpkin. 

It was...strange, doing something so mundane with other people. A good strange.

_______________________

"Goodnight Y/n!" Two long arms enveloped you, curling around your waist and pressing you into their chest as they bent over to hug you goodnight.

A few fleeting seconds later and Papyrus pulled away, standing back up to his full height and giving your hair a tender ruffle. Standing outside his door dressed head to toe in his orange and white polka dot pyjama's he bid you goodnight, twisting around to open his door and disappear into his room with one last 'sleep well'. 

You grinned even as his bedroom door shut. Sans was already in bed. Usually he went to bed relatively early and got up late, but that was because most of his time spent in bed was him struggling to get to sleep, or struggling to stay asleep. If you happened to be awake during the night, if you were listening closely enough you might have been able to hear him awake and wandering the halls, probably looking for something to eat. Sometimes you joined him. In those moments the two of you didn't speak much, simply enjoyed each others company and the comfort of food. It was peaceful.  
After a few brief moments of standing in silence, you decided to stop standing around like a creep before someone saw you. Turning around you walked over to your own bedroom door, slipping inside and shutting the door behind you. 

The room was dark. You didn't bother switching on the light. Your curtains hung open and the night sky illuminated the area, enhancing the shadows that danced across the room. You slumped back across your door, taking comfort in the brief moment of laziness. Slipping out your phone from your pockets, you switched it on and located your messages. 

You only had one contact. Not Sans' or Papyrus- they didn't have phone's- yet, anyway (once you started your new job you would be saving up for them, probably gifts for Christmas). You found yourself texting Muffet over the past couple days. Well, It was mostly her texting you and you replying so as to not be rude.  
But then it turned into an actual conversation, and you found yourself here, staring down at your screen and running your eyes over the details sent to you. 

You knew that Muffet had been flirting with you, but you'd thought she would have backed off after the minimal effort on your part. You weren't sure if Muffet was just stubborn and really saw something in you or whether she just needed something from you. The latter caused you to mentally prepare yourself for the worst. You didn't know Muffet well enough to be able to refer to her as anything but an acquaintance, but if she was paying for everything like she texted here, then you supposed you may as well as take advantage of the opportunity. 

Earlier this afternoon just while everyone was cleaning up the mess with the pumpkins, your phone had vibrated in your back pocket. Curiously, you took it out to find it was a message from Muffet. She had asked if you were available that night, and after texting back 'only after 8' did she invite you out.  
You'd paused, not opposed to going but otherwise unsure of how to let her down (you were meant to be delicate with these sorts of situations, right?)  
However, as soon as she insisted that she would pay for everything, you were sold. That might sound a little shallow, but it wasn't like you could go out and not get anything because you didn't have any money. 

Clicking off and slipping your phone away you shuffled over to your cupboard, shrugging on your best clothes (which still only consisted of a hoodie and jeans). You quickly ran your fingers through your hair, tugging on knots and tangles and smoothing them out. Without so much as a glance in the bathroom mirror you turned around to escape out your door, being conscious to close it quietly behind you.  
Once again it was still early enough that there would be others still awake, including Sans, even if he was already in bed. 

You tensed as you crept passed Sans' door, walking on quiet feet before picking up the pace when you felt as if you were a safe distance away. You weren't trying to keep any secrets from your boys, you just knew that if they knew, they'd want to come with you. You'd be completely fine with that, however, you weren't sure what Muffet's opinion on the matter would be. Especially because she was offering to pay for everything.

Pushing the slight guilt of sneaking behind your boys backs away, you focused on simply meeting Muffet outside her little café on time. Sans and Papyrus wanted to stay outside to watch the sunset a little longer than usual and at this rate you'd be late. Tip-toeing downstairs, you passed by the lounge room, where Red and someone else sat lazily on the couch, watching some sort of space related documentary. 

You eyed the Tv for a moment, before sneaking past. There was some shuffling around in the kitchen and you made sure to be as quiet as possible before sneaking out the front door. It was a Friday night and it seemed that everyone was up a little later than usual. Thankfully you made it outside without any trouble.

As soon as the cold night air hit your face you were thankful that the hoodie you were wearing was particularly thick. Eyes scanning over the air, observing the silhouettes of rustling trees and the sway of long grass underneath the steady pace of your feet, you let yourself relax.  
You could always relax when you were outside, a constant reminder that you were free.  
Each passing day it progressively got colder, and no doubt as soon as winter hit would it begin to snow. You stomach churned uneasily at the thought. You were so well acquainted with snow it made you uneasy. It was all too big of a reminder of back underground.  
You can't wait until summer hits. You wished that it would stay warm forever. 

You skin tingled under the soft breeze that seeped through your clothing and you picked up your pace to preserve the heat. It was odd walking into the city by yourself. Every other time you had someone else with you, usually your boys. Occasionally Stretch or someone else if you were going out in the day.  
Your guard was up as you walked by yourself, especially as you entered the streets of the concrete jungle. You knew the trip to Muffet's café fairly well and made sure to take no detours. You kept your head forward and avoided the gazes of any and all passing strangers.  
You felt a lot safer out here with Sans and Papyrus by your side, but being alone like this was a foreign feeling. It certainly had been a while since you felt this vulnerable. Usually you had the reassurance that your boys weren't far away. It was different this time. 

Sparing a quick glance at your phone as you walked, you were conscious that you were about twenty minutes late. You were a little disappointed that you were being so tardy, especially when It meant Muffet was probably waiting out by the side of the street all by herself, vulnerable too.  
You weren't attached to the spider-lady or anything, but you weren't a fan of being responsible for a death of someone who didn't really deserve to die. Darting your eyes around the place, you didn't trust these streets, or the people on them.

You realised that perhaps you were being overly paranoid. Muffet had lived up here on the surface in this world a lot longer then you. You were sure she could take care of herself. Being a bit paranoid over everything was just a trait that lingered with you from the underground. 

You felt yourself relax slightly as Muffet's little café came into view, and thus, Muffet too. You paused to sweep your eyes over the scene. Muffet's café seemed to already by locked up, lights turned off, door shut. Muffet patiently waited out front of the store, glancing down at her own phone. You wondered if she was just checking the time or waiting for a message from you. 

Either way, you picked up your pace. You'd forgotten how quiet your steps could be to someone who wasn't purposefully listening to them, so even as you approached she didn't glance up to meet your gaze. You took her side, glancing over her shoulder to see that she was indeed waiting for some sort of message from you. You wondered if you should text her or just say hello. 

"Hey."

Muffet jumped, spinning around and stumbling back a few steps. "Oh my!" She seemed to relax as your eyes met. "Oh dear! You certainly know how to sneak up on a lady, don't you dearie?" She huffed, regaining her composure and taking a few graceful steps towards you to close the distance. 

Your eyes dropped from Muffet's own gaze. She was dressed significantly better then yourself, however she didn't seemed to take notice, a warm smile gracing her lips as she stared at you. Dressed in a white cardigan and a short violet flared skirt, black hair twisted into twin plaits, she appeared to have put a whole lot more thought into her appearance then you did. Well, she did own her own little clothing store. You briefly wondered how she managed to juggle that along with her café. 

"Heh...sorry?" You apologised sheepishly. Muffet seemed to have long forgotten her fright, giggling good naturedly at your awkwardness. 

"Don't worry dearie, all has been forgiven," she grinned, showing off the pearly white fangs of hers. "Now, it's best we get going, no point standing out here in the cold any longer," she smiled.

You paused, before bobbing your head in agreement. "Yeah- where are we going anyway?"

Muffet turned on her heel to begin walking, not even a moment later you turned to take her side. "It is a surprise- you will have to wait and see~"

You threw Muffet a curious look but she merely grinned to herself. Upon her lack of explanation you fell quiet. You were a little tense as you walked beside the spider monster. You didn't know her well enough to say you really trusted her. The only reason you had even considered (other than the free food offer) was that apparently Toriel and her children seemed to trust her. You weren't on great terms with Toriel, but after sheltering you and putting up with your bullshit, even going as far to pay for all the clothing you stole for Papyrus and Sans, you determined she wasn't the type who would associate herself with the wrong crowd. 

You threw Muffet a glance. You didn't know her well, but you knew it was unlikely she was anything other then what she appeared to be. A sweet and charming spider-lady that also happened to have a knack for baking and fashion. 

"How'd you do it?" You questioned out of the blue. Muffet, caught off guard by this question tilted her head curiously at you. "Run a café and a clothing store all at once, I mean."

Muffet bobbed her head in understanding once you clarified for her. She adjusted the handback resting on her shoulder before returning her gaze back to you. "Well you see, I have actually vey recently decided that I wish to put more focus on my little Café store and as such I have adjusted my timetable," she began, "I will be working in the café on weekdays and my little clothing store will only be open on weekends."

You hummed in acknowledgement. It still seemed like a lot of work. "I never see any other employees at either of your stores. You run your shops all by yourself?"

Muffet giggled, "why, it may seem like a lot of work but I have my precious pets to help me out."

You paused. Pets? Furrowing your eyebrows you went to ask- then you remembered. She meant those spiders. You didn't pay very close attention to them but you supposed it made sense. You remembered those thousands of itty bitty creatures back in the underground, crawling across your skin and trying to escape under your clothes as you brushed them off in panic, stumbling until you were forced to escape on your hands and knees.  
You shuddered. At least this Muffet's pets wouldn't try to eat you. 

You tried to hide your unease as you nodded at her. "Well I suppose that's handy."

Apparently you failed as Muffet turned her head to eye you warily. "Tell me dearie, do you have a problem with spiders?" Her tone wasn't accusatory, rather merely curious. You knew exactly what she wanted to hear, but you weren't going to lie to the lady. You found that more often then not, lying just got you into deeper trouble then if you were just honest, so you refrained from doing so. 

After a beat of hesitation you replied truthfully, "...I don't have the best experience with spiders."

Muffet hummed at your answer. You met her calculative gaze as contemplated something. The two of you took a sudden turn on the street and you dropped her gaze to look where you were going. 

"I see..." She replied, seemingly choosing her words carefully. "Dearie," you shifted your gaze back to her, "Did you happen to know your universe's version of myself?"

You paused. Right, she knew about the whole alternate universe thing. You were curious to as what this other Muffet was like, and who's universe she came from. You'd have to ask Creampuff later on.  
After a beat of silence, you nodded your head stiffly. Muffet seemed to pick up on your tenseness and her eyes softened. After a moment of consideration she voiced her question. 

"If you do not mind, would you mind telling me what your relationship with her was like?"

You shifted your eyes back to Muffet. You really didn't like talking about this kind of thing. A sigh escaped your lips and you forced yourself to act as casually as you could. "She tried to kill me," you shrugged.

Muffet didn't answer straight away and you shifted your eyes back to Muffet. She seemed to look at you with sympathy and intrigue. There was a certain glint in her eye as if she knew you weren't telling her everything. Nonetheless, she didn't press the subject. "I'm sorry to hear that dearie... Do you think you can look past that when you look at me?"

You froze. Muffet paused her walking beside you to patiently await for you answer. You didn't answer. You couldn't. Because you didn't know.  
There were obvious physical differences between the Muffet in front of you and the one back in your universe, but that didn't change the fact they were still the same person- the eerie similarities you saw every time you looked at the spider-lady in front of you. Could you really look at the Muffet in front of you and not see the spider monster that had imprisoned you in her web for hours on end as she and her thousands of little pets prepared to eat you alive?

You paused. You thought back to Creampuff. You thought back to Papyrus. You had seen past the fact that Creampuff was a much luckier version of Papyrus. Gotten past the envy that boiled in your gut whenever you had to look at his undamaged pearly whites stretch into a grin, unburdened by any kind of suffering. You moved past it and now you were in the early stages of a friendship with him.  
You focused your eyes on Muffet. A polite smile was spread across her lips, but you could see the serious glint in her eye. Your answer would determine what direction the relationship between the two of you would go in for good. 

You closed your eyes, a ragged exhale escaping your lips. You opened your eyes again. You knew your answer.

"Yeah." 

The Muffet who's pleased gaze met your own was nothing like the Muffet from your own universe. Perhaps they were alternate versions of each other, but they were still their own person all the same.  
You didn't know this Muffet, but you were willing to give it a shot. 

"That is great to hear," she smiled softly. You met her warm gaze and allowed yourself to relax. Muffet paused, before she reached out to slip one of her hands into your own.  
Your eyes widened in surprise and she giggled into the palm of one of hands at your expense. You merely huffed as she took the lead, entwining her fingers in yours as she pulled you around the city.

Her hand was surprisingly soft and you couldn't help but your rub your thumb against her skin. It had been a while since you had encountered something quite as soft as her skin. Your own hands were littered with scars and would never be quite as soft as they used to be after the underground. You noticed that despite the fact the spider lady was probably a centimetre or two taller than you, her hands were smaller than your own. It was odd, but kind of cute. 

Lost in your thoughts you were only pulled out of them as the two of you stopped just outside of a nifty looking bar. Twisted into cursive was neon lights spelling out the name of the bar. 'Heaven's demons' was an intriguing enough name that you weren't surprised when you and Muffet entered to find the place rather busy. You glanced over to Muffet, who looked quite pleased with your awe. 

The bar was far bigger than you expected. Velvet carpet ran across the abode, a chandelier hung from the room and sleek polished booth's decorated the area. "Huhuhu~ I come here occasionally for a drink on a Friday night," Muffet explained. "I'm not a big drinker myself, but it is a rather relaxing atmosphere to come and unwind after a long day, wouldn't you agree, dearie?"

Your eyes ran over the building. There were a few glances your way at the chime of the door as it swung open, but the gazes immediately turned away back to whatever they were doing. An upbeat buzz warmed the room, grins spread across every strangers face, you couldn't help but be forced to relax. A small grin tugged at your lips. "Heh. Yeah. It's real nice."

Muffet stared at your warmly for a moment, before continuing into the building, leading you over to the stools lining the bar. Muffet's hand slid from your own as she took a seat on one of the plush leather cushioned stools. Taking a seat beside her, you ran your eyes over the selections of different bottles of alcohol lining the walls.  
You'd had a couple sips of alcohol as a kid in an act of pure rebellion but you'd never really had a proper alcoholic drink. You just hoped you didn't end up making a total fool of yourself.

"So, dearie, I did say the tab would be on me- what would you like?" You paused, shifting your eyes over to Muffet. What did you want? You shrugged. You didn't know what the options were, or what they would taste like. 

"Order for me?" You requested with an unsure grin, "You look like you have more expertise then I do."

Muffet chuckled. "Well, I have been told that I have a knack for choosing the best drinks," she winked. Turning around she waved the bartender over politely. A woman dressed sharply in a white button up shirt and vest with short red hair wandered over to the two of you. Her shirts sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, revealing a fancy spiral of tattoos twisting up her arms. 

"Ah, good to see you Muffet," she greeted with a warm grin, eyes flickering over to you, "I see ya got company," she winked. 

Muffet glanced slyly over to you, "Hello to you too, Blaire. And yes, I do believe I managed to snatch up a real good one if you ask me." Your eyes widened slightly at the comment but the two continued to speak as if you weren't there. 

Blaire spready a toothy grin across her lips, gaze shifting over to you. "A cute one too, if you ask me," she mused. You felt yourself tense. "So, what can I get for the two of you?"

Muffet hummed, glancing over to you for a second, contemplating. "Well, I'll get my usual, for Y/n, however..." She turned back around to Blaire, a smirk pulling against her lips, "I think we'll give her a kiss from me."

Your eyes darted back to Muffet, who was eyeing you mischievously as she rested her chin in her palm, leaning over the counter. Blaire nodded with a smirk of her own and moved to prepare Muffets drink as you and Muffet locked eyes. She was joking right? You gritted your teeth nervously, dropping Muffet's gaze to instead to watch Blaire making drinks. You tried to ignore Muffets amused gaze on you, shrinking into your hoodie. After a few moments where Muffet didn't try anything further other then giggling in amusement as you frantically darted your eyes from her to Blaire, trying to determine if she was serious or not, you figured she must have just been teasing you. 

You winced upon the realisation. You hadn't even had a drink yet and you were already embarrassing yourself. You found the confidence to meet Muffet's gaze once again, and found there wasn't anything but warmth. After a few moments of simply meeting each others gaze, you felt yourself relax.  
"Heh. And here I was thinking I was gonna score myself a kiss," you chuckled in attempts to break the ice, choosing to ignore your previous awkwardness. 

Muffet quirked an eyebrow at you. Blaire wandered back over to the both of you, settling not only Muffet's drink, but your own too? Your eyes darted down to the drink in front of you in curiosity. Was what Muffet had said some sort of code word or something? 

"One Vieux Carré and one Spider's kiss," Blaire mused. Your eyes darted up, only just briefly catching the Red head's eye as it clicked. As Blaire moved to walked away your shifted in your seat to look over at Muffet again, a pleased smirk spread across her expression. 

"Well, dearie, if you wanted a real kiss that bad," she leaned towards you, face still resting on her palm, "I suppose I could arrange something for you~"

You paused, meeting Muffet's gaze as she looked up at you. "tch," you looked back over at your drink, "I think you have to wait until at least the third date for that kind of action." 

Muffet sat back up straight in her seat, picking up her drink and gracefully bringing it up to her lips, to stare at you up over the glass in amusement. Resting the drink in her lap, you went to reach for your own drink. "Oh? So this is a date?"

You froze, fingers clenching around your own glass. Shit. You did say that didn't you?

"Huhu~ Good to know," your eyes shot back to Muffet, who shot you a wink. 

You chuckled nervously, picking up your own drink to try it. It smelt quite sweet and deciding to be brave, you took a sip. There was the faintly familiar burn of alcohol, but otherwise it was mostly overpowered by a fruity sweetness. Your eyes widened in awe, vaguely registering Muffet's giggling before throwing the rest back all at once. There was a slight chocolatey taste, mixed with something orangey. It was delicious. 

You finished it off in one go, wiping your mouth with your sleeve and dropping the glass back down on the counter. "Heh," you ran your tongue over your lips. "Tasty."

Muffet's grin widened at you. "I see, a woman who can hold her liquor, " she observed, "well then," she picked up her own drink, unlike previously where she was taking small, polite sips, this time she brought up her drink and threw it all back at once like you did, a smirk dancing across her purple painted lips, "Another?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I simply adore misleading titles.  
> Will there ever be a chapter title that you can truly trust? Unlikely. 
> 
> MC's and Muffet's 'date' seemed to have gone well. I wonder how long it'll take before one of her boys finds out about them. 
> 
> Also yes, I love the idea that Blueberry is ridiculously strong, despite his small stature. lol. 
> 
> Last chapter I received some awesome fanart from xmagic-trashcanx ! Be sure to go check out their Tumblr! I also have it reblogged on my own page, where you can go and see it there too! <3
> 
> I also got a song recommendation from UndecidedSoulTrait for MC called 'I kill cause i'm hungry' (https://youtu.be/5WVtvWOoaZ4). They came up with the idea that since monster's have their own music attuned with their souls, that this particular song would be MC's.  
> I am a big fan of this song myself and thought it would be worth mentioning. <3


	38. GRILLBY'S

His piercing red eye-lights glowered down at you, exaggerating the sharp points of his bones. With a scowl deepening across his teeth, hands propped up on his hips, he demanded your full attention.  
"Human!" 

Despite the fact you had already stopped in the middle of the hallway where Edge had blocked your path, hands lazily tucked away in your pockets as you stared up at the towering skeleton, he insisted on booming out your 'nickname' as if you hadn't already stopped for him. A frown threatened to tug at the ends of your lips, head pulsing. You didn't drink all that much last night but apparently it was enough to earn yourself a nasty headache. You'd been sculling glasses of water all morning and thankfully it had began to go down, but the subtle uncomfortable ache in your skull still lingered. 

You quirked an eyebrow at Edge, glancing to either side of him and evaluating the risk assessment of simply slipping past him. These hallways were pretty wide anyway, it wouldn't be hard. 

"You Will Come With Me Immediately!" He spat, getting straight to the point of whatever it was he wanted. You furrowed your eyebrows at the skeleton, tensing as he bent over so as to level his burning gaze with yours. 

"What?" You met his gaze inquisitively. What the hell did he want? Frankly you'd trust a stranger on the street sooner then you'd trust the skeleton in front of you. As if you'd simply follow him without question.

Edge straightened back up, looking down at you over his nose, "You Heard Me! Now Come!" He reached out for you, his long phalanges narrowly missing your arm as you side stepped him. 

You narrowed your eyes at the skeleton, hands clenching in your pockets. "Watch where you're going," you warned lowly. Edge returned his hands to his side, jaw visibly clenching at your boldness. 

In turn he also narrowed his own sockets at you, gritting his teeth as if contemplating his next course of action. What was his deal anyway? "Human- Do Not Make Me Tell You Twice- You WILL Come With Me!"

"Why should I?" you glared, challenge flashing in your eyes. You'd be damned if you just let someone so rudely boss you around. 

Edge glowered at you, and to be honest you were a little surprised that he hadn't tried piercing you with a bone attack yet. From his clenched fists by his sides you knew he was considering it.  
"You Did Compare Me To A Child , Did You Not?" He hissed, and your face twisted in confusion, "Well, I Must Prove To You That I Am Quite The Opposite!"

You paused, everything clicking together.  
So he wanted to prove to you his maturity? Amusement pulled across your lips and sparked in your eyes. "You honestly think that you act like a mature adult?" You scoffed, curiosity lingering in your tone. 

"I Know So, You Pathetic Welp! Now Hurry Up! I Have Many Important Very Adult Things To Attend To And I Do Not Have All Day For A Waste Of Time Like You." 

Your amusement progressively faded throughout his response, jaw clenching together tensely. You refrained from giving the skeleton a verbal smackdown, knowing that it would only prolong the encounter. The two of you spared a few tense moments to stare each other down, before a sigh slipped from your lips.  
"Where are we goin'?"

Edge propped his hands on his hips. "You Will See," he muttered coolly, before spinning smoothly around on his red boot's heel. He merely spared you a squinted glance to simply ensure you were following him before striding in the direction of wherever you were going. 

You sighed deeply, before strolling behind the fast-paced skeleton, gaze lingering on the back of his skull. Little splitters decorated the back of his head and you imaged that wasn't the only place they spiralled around his bones. You don't know what went down in their version of the underground, but you knew it was far rougher then whatever Classic, Stretch and their brothers had to live through.  
You remained silent even as the two of you marched upstairs and took a sharp turn towards the side of the house where more bedrooms where located, opposite from yours. You were curious as to where he was taking you and a little wary that it would be his room. You weren't sure what to expect but you wouldn't put it past him to have some sort of lethal traps ready to be accidentally stepped on littered around the place. 

Surely, not all that long later and you found yourself in front of someone's door. You glanced up warily at Edge, who merely offered you a cold glare before marching forward to throw open his door and stride inside.  
What was it with people and inviting you in their rooms as of late? First Creampuff- now Edge of all people?

Huffing, you hesitantly wandered inside behind him, not bothering to close the door behind you. 

"Close The Door!"

Well, scratch that plan. Begrudgingly you shuffled back over to his door and swung it closed unceremoniously. As soon as the slam of the door hit your ears you spun back around to run your eyes over the area around you. 

The first thing you noticed that it was as tidy as you expected, the second thing was that it wasn't nearly as edgy as you would have thought.  
Edge's pleased hum caught you off guard, shifting your gaze back over to the skeleton standing boldly in the centre of his room with a smirk spread across his teeth.  
"Impressed By My Room, Human?" He asked smugly, as if he already knew the answer.

You deadpanned at the skeleton but otherwise didn't say anything else. Edge wasn't put off by your expression or lack of response, instead marching over to his desk and gracefully slipping into the cushioned seat.  
You furrowed your brows at the skeleton, before reluctantly approaching him in order to figure out whatever he was doing. 

You stood by the side of his desk, still within arms length but otherwise leaving a fair distance between the two of you. Edge glanced up at you, with a pleased look on his face before twisting to pull open one of his draws. You weren't entirely sure what he was getting at, but whatever was in that draw must be important.  
You were entirely underwhelmed by the stacks of paperwork's contained within. 

Edge wrapped his clawed fingers around the bundle of paper before propping it on-top of his desk in front of him. Your gaze shifted over to the paperwork to briefly run your gaze over it's contents.  
Yeah, just plain ol' boring paperwork. 

Your gaze shifted back over to Edge, who despite sitting down and still staring eye to eye with you, grinned smugly as if this was all the evidence you could ever need to have to prove he was as mature as he claimed.  
You almost laughed. 

"So..." You trailed off, wondering if you could leave now. 

"Yes?" He questioned with a smirk in his voice, as if he was simply waiting for you to drop to your knees and forgive him profusely for ever doubting his age or maturity.  
Except you didn't, you merely shot him a look and forced your hands further into your pockets. 

You sighed, letting your eyes wander around the crimson painted room, "And I'm the waste of time?" You muttered sourly, a smirk threatening to curl on your lips as you noticed the dumbfounded look on Edge's usually smug face. 

"What!?" He boomed, as if he was in shock from your words, anger twisting across his expression. He opened his jaw to no doubt give you a verbal backlashing, except you cut him off. 

"What?" you snickered, "Did you really think some _paperwork_ was going to impress me?" You mocked, a laugh in your voice. Edge bit down on his teeth, eyes glowering into you. All you did in return was offer him an amused rise of your eyebrows. His gloved hands clenched tightly as Edge shifted his gaze away from you, a red flush spreading across his cheekbones as he glared at the wall opposite your direction.

A single laugh escaped through your teeth, more mockery at the tip of your tongue but you bit down on it before the words could spill from your lips. Edge purposefully looked away from you, one of his hands clenching tightly around the edge of the desk, no doubt in attempts to control his anger.  
You noticed this with mild amusement, knowing he was refraining from skewering you for no other reason then as to not prove you right. 

Deciding not to push your luck, you opted to leave before Edge changed his mind.

"Right....well, I'm gonna go," you informed him sheepishly. The skeleton, still currently quivering from a mixture of rage and embarrassment, continued to refuse to look at you and simply remained silent. You took that as your que to leave and spun around on your heel towards the exit.  
Pulling open Edge's door, you hesitated long enough to spare the infuriated skeleton a glance before slinking out into the hallway, swinging the door closed behind you. 

A huff escaped your lips as you trailed down the hallway and back the way you came. Edge really was a handful, you sighed. When you told him to start acting his age you didn't think he would hold onto that remark so tightly. He acted as if he wasn't used to being insulted or ridiculed.  
Thinking back to his natural imposing demeanour, you wouldn't be all that surprised, actually. You doubted there were many with enough guts to actually do or say anything.  
You almost felt bad for the poor guy. Sometimes you just needed to be knocked back on your arse a few times to humble a person a bit. Obviously this guy had been the one knocking other people over too much, with no one to return the favour.

Bouncing down the stairs, you hummed to yourself.  
But if that were true, how did he get those cracks in his skull? 

____________________

You sunk lazily into the single seat lounge, throwing your legs over the arm rest and lazily eyeing The Bachelor on TV. According to one of the ads from the last ad break Home and Away was on next and you were mildly annoyed because you weren't ready mentally or emotionally to stick around long enough to watch that.  
You huffed to yourself. The damn show had been running for 31 years, it just needed to end already damnit.

Lazily laying across the longer lounge beside this one was Stretch, arm draped over the edge of the arm rest and pinching a cigarette between his two fingers, occasionally bringing it back to his teeth for another puff. Red sat across the room from you in another single seater reclining lounge, half a frown spread across his teeth, obviously frustrated with the current drama going down at the dinner table. 

You only half-paid attention to the TV, as this was merely a re-run and you'd already watched this episode when it premiered. You allowed the TV to drown on in the background, resting your eyes and tucking your hands away cosily in your pockets. The sound of the Bachelor playing the background was oddly comforting, despite the stream of censored words. The noise filled up the silence, made the place feel more lively, giving the illusion of the house being much warmer then it really was. 

Loosing yourself in the limbo between sleep and consciousness your jolted awake as the show ends and ads begin to play again. 

"Ugh. Fuck this." You heard a baritone voice groan from across the room, "Aye, You awake Ashtray?"

"Ya?"

"Wanna git outta here?"

You opened your eyes curiously as Stretch hummed to himself, stretching his arm out to smother his smoke out on the ashtray sitting on the coffee table. "Grillby's?"

A sharp grin spread across Red's face. " 'Course."

Stretch lazily pushed himself upwards, lifting his hands in the air to live up to his name. "Sure. Don't see why not," Slipping off the couch to stand up Stretch caught your eye and quirked a bone-brow your way. You quickly diverted your gaze back to the Tv, aware of his amused gaze as it shifted back off of you. "Your bro cool with you goin'?"

Red scoffed before pushing himself out of his seat and shuffling over to the taller skeleton. " 'cool' and my bro' don't fit in the same sentence."

Stretch huffed a laugh at the comment, Red's grin widening in reply. You eyed the two curiously. You hadn't seen them hang out all to much, but then again you didn't really pay attention to them very often. The two spoke like good friends and you wondered just how close they really were. In your own experience Red seemed a bit stand-offish, if not a bit of an arsehole.  
You knew he had a crude sense of humour, if you picked up anything from that one joke he made a while back. 

You were brought out of your thoughts when Red shifted his gaze and locked it with yours. You jumped a little, mentally scolding yourself for staring a second time even though you had already been caught once. Before you could turn back around to face the TV again Stretch had already shifted to follow Red's gaze, meeting your eyes again with a mild amusement in his sockets. 

"You seem quite interested in us today," he quirked his bone-brow up at you, shoving his hands into his signature burnt orange hoodie.

You paused, before shrugging and diverting your gaze from the two sheepishly. You expected the two to just turn back around and continue speaking with each other, except they didn't. Stretch turned around to completely face you, hands tucked away in his pockets as he stared at you thoughtfully. 

Red's gaze shifted over to Stretch, socket's narrowing suspiciously. "... What are ya plannin'?" 

An amused grin curled across Stretch's teeth, his gaze momentarily flickering back to the skeleton beside him, before resting back on you. "You know, hasn't Grillby been asking about y/n anyway?"

You squinted at Stretch curiously. You knew who Grillby was. You just were curious on how similar he'd be.  
Red's sockets seem to widen, seemingly understanding whatever underlying meaning Stretch's observation had. A frown tugged at his sharp teeth, his eye-lights moving to settle on you. "Ya wanna bring her with us?"

Stretch shrugged. "Why not?" The skeleton clad in orange seemed to run his gaze over you contemplatively, as if still deciding whether bringing you along would be a wise decision or not.  
However, while these two were bickering, your eyebrows had raised in surprise too.  
Why would Stretch want you to come with them? You narrowed your eyes at the skeleton. With Red at the very least you knew his stand on you, but with Stretch, it was real hazy whether he was either irritated or amused by you and your antics. You eyed the skeleton. Perhaps both?

"Cause I don' wanna have to look after some human!" Red spat. There was mild annoyance lacing his words, however you were quick to pick up on the fact there was no real anger directed towards Stretch. You imaged that if it were the majority of people in Stretch's place, Red wouldn't be nearly as patient. Red seemed like a bit of a hothead, from your own experience. However, it seemed that you were right in assuming Red and Stretch were friends, if their behaviour was anything to go by.

"Eh. Grillby will look after 'em." Was all that consisted of Stretch's simple reply.

Red eyed Stretch for a moment, before he visibly returned back to slouching, relenting to the taller skeleton's antics. "...Fine. Whatever," he grumbled as his pinpricks shifted back to you. 

Okay, so the fact these two were cool with you coming was good and all, but you weren't sure whether you should be amused or concerned over the fact they're basically treating the situation as if you were already going.

Stretch grinned lazily, eyes returning to you. "So...you up for coming?"

You paused. You were considering it. Sure, Stretch was a bit of a dick, and Red seemed to be that way too, but otherwise you were mostly neutral when it came to the two. No doubt Stretch had invited you in order to establish a deeper opinion on yourself, but to be honest, it would be a good opportunity to take advantage of. Especially because you were apparently going to Grillby's, which was easily the biggest factor to why you were considering agreeing. It was already a little after dinner and a Saturday night- usually you'd be hitting the streets with your boys in a couple hours. Choosing to go to Grillby's would be cutting into the time you got to spend out on the streets with Sans and Papyrus.  
You were inclined to say no, however, the temptation to finally see this version of Grillby made that decision difficult. You wondered if the two would look anything alike. From what you knew your own universe's Grillby was in a particularly bad shape, the eternal flame that made up his body slowly eating away at his soul and distorting not only his physical figure, but his mental and emotional one too. 

It seemed that no matter how badly you suffered in the underground, there were those who struggled worse.

After a moment of consideration, you bobbed your head in confirmation. Stretch nodded back at you nonchalantly, before twisting on an angle to face Red and you both. "Aight, well, we're gonna wait outside," he spared you a glance to let you know who he was directing those words towards, "I'm guessing you might wanna go and tell Axe and Crooks what's up?"

Hesitantly, you nodded. You had to admit, you were a little surprised he took that into consideration. With one last confirmation from Stretch of the plan the two spun around to head out without so much as a glance back at you. Well, you had to give the orange clad skeleton some credit, obviously he wasn't a total arsehole if he could account other people's lives into his own plans. 

Slipping lazily out of your seat you spun on the heel of your shoes. It felt strange constantly wearing shoes inside, usually Sans would just lend you a pair of his slippers and let you wonder around the house in those, but that was back underground. You didn't feel as if you were welcomed enough here to behave so casually. 

It was a short journey into the dining room where you knew Creampuff and Green were, making warm conversation and helping each other with crosswords.  
Entering the room, Green was the first to catch your eye, seeing as he was sitting on the side of the table that allowed him to face in your direction. Green's polite smile tugged at the edges to acknowledge your presence, nodding at you in greeting. You'd spoken with Green few times but you were pretty comfortable with him being around Papyrus, especially because Papyrus seemed to have taken a liking to him. The green orbed skeleton from your own experience was particularly polite and friendly. While his brother G seemed more standoffish, G didn't display any signs of hostility. He was alright in your book. 

A single step further into the room and Papyrus was twisting in his seat to locate the newcomer in the room. Gaze settling on you a pleased grin spread across his teeth, leaving a wide grin to linger at his teeth. "Y/n!" He greeted warmly, straightening in his seat as you approached. An easy smile spread across your lips as you watched Papyrus fondly, wandering over to his side and letting your eyes settle on the newspapers neatly spread across the table, turned to the crossword and word search section. 

"You guys having a win?" You questioned, gesturing to the crosswords in between the two. The two nodded at you, seemingly proud of their work.

"Of Course! Would You Like To Join Us?" You met Papyrus' gaze, holding it for a moment before looking back to the table.

"Actually, can I talk to you just for a sec?" Papyrus paused, staring down at you curiously. You don't expand on what you might want to talk about, shifting your gaze over to Green, who met your gaze curiously, but remained courteously unprivy to your business. 

"Why Of Course! I Always Have Time To Speak With You," he grinned, gracefully slipping out of his chair and straightening to his full height, his shadow practically engulfing you. He waited patiently for you to take lead to somewhere more private, still smiling down at you warmly before turning around to face Green. 

"Oh! I Hope You Don't Mind Me Leaving So Abruptly!" 

Green hummed in amusement, "Do Not Worry About That," he reassured Papyrus, "Will You Back Soon?" He inquired, this time shifting his gaze over to you.

You nodded. "Yeah- i'll only be a sec, then you and Paps can keep doing your crosswords."

Green smiled pleasantly. "Alright Then, I Will Be Waiting Here Then."

You nodded at the skeleton, before turning to leave the room. Papyrus was quick to reach your side, remaining silent as the two of you walked until you found somewhere suitable to talk. You merely settled with the kitchen, figuring there was no point walking a long distance for what you predicted to be a particularly short conversation. 

Papyrus entered into the kitchen, striding over to flip on the lights before turning around to face you. Papyrus stared at you thoughtfully as you stood before him, humming to himself. "What Is It That You Would Like To Tell Me?" Papyrus paused, a hint of concern twisting across his expression, "Are You Alright, Did Something Happen?"

A grin curled across your lips. "Nah, nothing like that," you reassured him, much to his visible relief if the relaxing of his body was anything to go by. You couldn't blame him for being slightly alarmed, after all, usually you'd just say whatever you had to say, be damned with whoever else was around. Usually you only spoked with him privately over serious matters.  
"Actually I just wanted to talk about tonight."

Papyrus quirked a bone-brow at you curiously. "Yes?"

You paused. You kind of felt ashamed that you were going out with Stretch and Red. It almost felt as if you were choosing them over Papyrus- which you certainly were not doing. "I uh, was going to go with Stretch and Red to Grillby's tonight."

Papyrus paused, staring at you contemplatively. "You... Do Not Wish To Go Out With Sans And Myself Tonight?" He questioned slowly, as if trying to understand what you were implying.

Your eyes widened, hands raising almost defensively. "No- no! I still wanna go- just... maybe a little later then usual?"

Relief seemed to flash in Papyrus' sockets, a warm grin curling across his face, replacing the confused line his teeth were previously held in. "Oh! Well, I Do Not See A Problem With That!" he grinned, resting his hands on his hips. "I Will Let Sans Know Of This Slight Change In Plans."

You nodded, an appreciative smile of your own playing at your lips. "Thanks Paps."

"But Of Course!" He replied fondly, gaze dropping down to meet yours. "What Time Can I Expect You Back?"

You paused, thinking over it for a moment in your head. "I'll try to be back before eleven."

Papyrus bobbed his head in acknowledgment. "Alright! Well, I Do Hope You Enjoy Yourself," he said pleasantly, "And Remember To Be Safe," he added afterwards. 

A grin stretched across your face. "Yup, always am," you nodded. 

Papyrus rolled his pin-picks at your antics. "I'd Like To Believe That Statement Were True," he mused, a slight firmness undertone letting you know there was some seriousness in his concern for you. 

You chuckled to yourself. "Aww, don't go doubting me now Paps."

Papyrus huffed a laugh at you, a wide grin stretching across his flawed, but otherwise, in your own opinion, charming teeth. "Not For A Second," he replied softly. 

You quirked an eyebrow at him but he merely grinned at you sheepishly. Not thinking anything of it, you chose to ignore the otherwise unusual softness of his voice. "Well uh, I should get going," you informed him.

Papyrus nodded in acknowledgement. "Well, I Suppose I Won't Hold You Up Any Longer."

"heh, yeah. See you when I get back," you threw Papyrus a half wave goodbye as you spun to leave out through the doorway opposite the one you came through, and the one Papyrus was walking back through. Papyrus bid you a final goodbye before the two of you disappeared from each other's view.  
You kind of wanted to hunt down Sans yourself and talk to him, but figured you may as well not make Stretch and Red wait in case they so happen to change their mind. 

You weren't too concerned about the thickness of your clothes, knowing that if you were going to Grillby's you would never be cold. You always appreciated the moments you managed to get a conversation out of the fire monster. You appreciated the warmth he granted, the momentary mercy from the relentless cold of Snowdin.  
You didn't flinch as you were engulfed by a cold gust of wind as you stepped out the front door and onto the deck. Sliding your eyes to your left, you found Stretch lazily slumped against the wall, cigarette brought up to his teeth, sockets closed. Red stood opposite Stretch, leaning against the wooden railing of the deck, eye-lights shifting over to you as you closed the door behind you. 

The two skeletons pushed themselves off what ever dedicated object they were leaning against once alerted of your presence. You approached the two, stopping a comfortable distance away from them, moving your gaze from Red and back over to meet Stretch's sockets. 

"You ever taken a shortcut?" Stretch quirked his bone-brow curiously at you. 

"Yeah," you nodded. Sans had whisked you off with him using his shortcuts countless times, however, you were anticipating this time to be different, if you were right In what you assumed Stretch was implying. You didn't know Sans before the famine underground, but you were aware to some extent of the damage his head injury had done to him.  
Nowadays, Sans could shortcut in small bursts, and only a few at a time before he quickly wore himself out. He'd lost his ability to use magic dramatically compared to before the head injury. Though while he could still summon basic bone attacks if he was particularly well rested, It was why he relied so much on that axe of his- and the meat cleaver back underground. The things with monster's was that they were constantly armed, their magic providing to be the only weapon they needed. However with Sans' new disability he needed to find a substitute. Now he lugged that thing around, the axe he gripped in his hand a comforting reminder that not only was he able to fight, but able to defend himself and yourself and Papyrus whenever he needed to.  
It was the only reason Papyrus had let him carry around that meat cleaver with him around the house all the time underground.

Stretch nodded, plucking the smoke from his teeth to smother it out on the wall, and flick it over to what you assumed to be a dedicated bin for all the smokers of the house. Without much thought Stretch offered a hand to you, confirming that you were indeed getting to Grillby's via a shortcut. You weren't surprised, if these really were alternate versions of Sans it only made sense that they'd possess the same lazy tendencies Sans did. 

After a beat of hesitation, you forced your arm forward, stiffly slipping your hand into his. Stretch didn't react, simply tightening his grip around your hand and tugging you a few steps forward to rest his other hand firmly on your free arms' shoulder.  
From the corner of your eye you watched Red disappear, no sooner being swept off your feet by the void, the familiar deafening silence hitting your ears and a familiar feeling of lurch of your stomach as if you were going down a rollercoaster twisting in your abdomen. 

The first few times you'd travelled through the void had been incredibly disorientating, but at this point you had built up quite a tolerance. You imaged Sans used his shortcutting ability far less then some of the other skeletons for obvious reasons, but nonetheless you and Sans found yourself in enough tough situations for him to be compelled to use it. 

No sooner had the temperaturelessness of the void enveloped your body did it vanish, instead replaced with a cosy heat that warmed you to your core. You paused, quicker then Stretch's nonchalant pace to sever any contact between the two of you. 

Your heart lurched in your throat as your eyes wandered the room, stomach churning uncomfortably as your gaze ventured long enough to settle on the fire elemental walking behind the bar.  
There he stood, glasses neatly pushed back on his 'nose' and spotless suit fitted seemingly precisely for him as he idly cleaned a already spotless glass with a cloth. 

...Is this... really what Grillby looked like before the famine? 

You hardly registered Stretch slinking off towards the bar without you until he threw a glance over his shoulder to raise a brow at you. You blinked, before slowly shuffling over to the bar as well, eyes tracing the faces and outlines of every monster (and the odd human) within the bar's walls.  
There were plenty you recognised, some more vastly different in appearance then you last remembered seeing them, some in which you'd never thought you'd see again, some who's dust you could still taste on your tongue. 

You cringed. Quickly diverting your eyes back to the Bartender, who was curiously staring in your direction and then back to the two skeletons slouching on their stools. A few hesitant steps later and your feet hit the sides of the bar. Slinking into the seat beside Stretch, you lifted your gaze to eye Grillby. 

The fire monster didn't bother taking your company's orders, merely turning on his heel to serve the two, apparently having memorised their order. You almost cringed at the stock of food available in the bar, you'd gotten used to the sight of food by now, but seeing it here, in Grillby's bar, it felt foreign.  
The only time you saw food here was when Papyrus caught more than what the three of you could eat in time and decided to share the extras with everyone else. You remembered those days fondly, actually.  
Despite the fact everyone knew to keep away from you, knowing you were under the protection of Sans- or 'The Butcher' as they liked to call him, hunger still could get to a person, and you happened to look a lot like food to them. But on days where Papyrus brought food over to Grillby's for the bartender to cook and share with everyone, everybody seemed to forget the fact you were human. It was rare days like that where people seemed to be somewhat friendly with each other, exchanging, albeit usually dark stories and talking like old, perhaps a little deranged, friends. It was nice. 

It was almost disturbing how quickly they all reverted back to their previous behaviour by the next morning.

You were almost a little surprised when you found the fire elemental right in front of you, waiting for your order. Your eyes widened just a tad, before you waved him off sheepishly. "Nah- I'm go-"

"-She'll have what we're havin'." Grillby nodded and turned back around to prepare your apparent meal. You paused, shifting in your seat to crane your neck over at your company. Slumped against the bar, the side of his face resting in his palm, Red shot you a smug wink.

"Thought I may as well treat the lady," he grinned, something mischievous glinting in his sockets.  
You quirked and brow at the skeleton, knowing fully well what he was getting at, a little put off by his apparent change in demeanour. Back at the house he'd acted as if he _didn't_ want you to come? What was with the changed of attitude? He hadn't even had a drink yet- unless. You eyed the mustard bottle his phalanges were lazily wrapped around. 

"....Thanks." You decided to reply after a few moments of silence. Silently you appreciated the skeleton. He was buying you food, after all.  
Gaze shifting back to Red, you just hoped there weren't any catches. 

Red's grin seemed to sharpen, but he didn't say anything else as Grillby approached the counter to slid you your food. Your eyes dropped to the plate beneath you, vaguely aware of the fire monster still standing there waiting for you to try it.  
Thick cut chips evenly seasoned was piled generously on the side of your plate, lightly drizzled with Mustard and Tomato sauce, and what was by far the largest, most mouth water burger you had stumbled across sitting boldly sitting next to it. 

A finger twitching in anticipation jolted you out of your daze, and no sooner did you dive into your food. You didn't bother to savour the flavour in your mouth, receiving far more satisfaction from eating such a hearty meal. Distantly aware of the skeletons beside you eyeing you curiously with a thousand questions running through theirs minds and the bartender staring in stunned silence, you didn't bother to spare any of them a glance.  
Your skeletal company was already used to your lack of etiquette when it came to eating, however you imagined it might be surprising seeing it for the first time. You didn't care.

Food made you hungry, you hated being hungry. You'd do whatever it took to get rid of the feeling as quickly as possible. 

Within what you assumed to be minutes, you were licking not only your fingers, but your plate clean too. The skeletons beside you just chuckled quietly to themselves, munching on their own food and ordering their own drinks, keeping Grillby busy, but obviously not busy enough for him to keep his gaze off you. 

Once you were sure that not even salt from the chips remained on the plate, you dropped the dish back on the counter, satisfied. You had already eaten not even two hours earlier, but you always found room for food. You would have been surprised that Red and Stretch could still eat, however, considering you and your boys ended up eating the majority of their plates you weren't in the slightest. 

".....I've seen people enjoy my food before, but not quite to your extent."

You almost jump in your seat, eyes flickering up to Grillby, who stood politely in front of you from behind the bar. 

"Heh, don't flatter yaself just yet Grillbz- she's like that wit everyone's cookin." Both you and Grillby twisted to face Red as he and Stretch huffed a laugh at the remark, the former of the two currently pouring half a bottle of whiskey into his bottle of mustard.  
You eyed the drink (?) curiously. You weren't one to discriminate against a particular type of food, but admittedly you had never heard of the combination before. It was mildly interesting to say the least. 

"...Is that so?" Grillby questioned, tilted his head to look back over at you. "....Well, I'll choose to take it as a compliment anyway."

You breathed out a laugh, a small smile quirking at your lips. Grillby excused himself, announcing he had to go and attend to other customers. Your eyes followed the monster for a few seconds before returning back to the two beside you, who were joyously throwing back their alcoholic-condiment mix drinks. 

"So... You know Grillby from your universe?" You wondered how long It would take before you got tired of all the questions you got about your universe. 

Your gaze shifted to meet Stretch's. Both Red and Stretch seemed relaxed, partially from their natural laid back demeanour and partially from what you assumed to be the light buzz of monster alcohol working in their systems. You shrugged.

Stretch chuckled, Red slumping further in his seat and narrowing his sockets at you. "You do that on purpose?" He mused, "avoid details? Try to be mysterious or something?"

You quirked a brow at the skeleton, well aware that he was simply joking. You were inclined to shrug again, but caught yourself right before you could. Instead you opted to remain silent. Maybe they'd get the hint. 

Red flagging down Grillby to get him another drink after pouring back the last of his, he shot you a look. "Yeah, c'mon Girlie- spill." Despite the teasing tone Red took on, there was something much more demanding in his tone of voice then Stretch's. 

You squinted at the red themed skeleton. "I knew him, yeah." Red rolled his pinpricks at you, Stretch raising a bone-brow, both utterly unsatisfied with that response. "...We spoke a few times, we weren't exactly friends or anything," you added hesitantly. 

They seemed to accept this answer. "Why not?" Well, obviously not Red, as he continued to pry.

You shrugged, then thought to yourself after a few minutes. You didn't really feel like talking about this (did you ever?), and you didn't know how to word it to them without spoiling the upbeat mood. "Things were... just... tense," you felt yourself grin slightly, yeah, tense was a suitable word, "underground. Kinda ruined any chance to make many friends," you chuckled softly and entirely humourlessly at your own comment. 

The two stared at you for a moment and you felt yourself grow antsy under their gazes. You clenched your hands in your pockets, resisting the temptation to look away, instead challenging them with your own gaze. This seemed to break them out of their thoughts, their gazes drifting some place else.

"Yeah, think I understand that," Red said a moment later. "Sounds like I was on betta terms wit my own Grillby then you were, but my Grillbz could be a bit of a _hothead_ too."

The three of you fell silent.

At just like that the upbeat mood had returned, Stretch clasping himself by the stomach and lurching over to cackle manically alongside Red. Your eyes widened in surprise, before you turned away to hide the amused grin spread across your lips.  
Neither seemed all too caught up with what you were doing, laughing with each other as Grillby refilled their drinks. 

You found that you didn't contribute much to the conversation after that. Occasionally one of them would ask you a question or twist in their seat to let you know you were being spoken too as well, but by what you assumed to be their eleventh or twelfth drink each, they'd seemed to have mostly forgotten your presence. 

Idly looking around the room, boredom dangerously near, you pulled out your phone. You were surprised to find that It was only a little past nine, and that you had at least another hour or more to kill depending on whether you walked home or if one of the two were sober enough to shortcut you back with them. 

Pondering your plans getting back home, you picked up on the notification you'd previously hadn't seen. Clicking on it you found that Muffet had sent you a text from this morning.

**From Muffet**

Last night was absolutely wonderful dearie!~ I would love to see you again sometime soon.

You paused, before shooting back another text. 

**To Muffet**

Yeah, it was fun. Also, sure. 

Dropping your phone in your lap you pondered whether you should apologise for taking so long to reply, but before you could make up your mind your phone vibrated again.  
You paused, picking up your phone and throwing a glance over at Red and Stretch who were both too occupied with each other's company and distracted by the alcohol in their systems to pay any attention to you.

**From Muffet**

I'm pleased to hear that. Would next Friday, around the same time work for you?

You send her back a thumbs up emoji, confirming your plans for next Friday. Speaking of next week, you were starting your first shift Monday night, and you weren't entirely sure how to feel. You were certain it couldn't be that bad, you just didn't know what to expect. You were actually pretty glad you were working night shift, it meant you would be interacting with others less then throughout the day. 

Your thoughts halted as your phone vibrated in your hand again. Your eyes dropped down to the screen of your phone to run over the newest message sent to you.

**From Muffet**

So tell me, how have you been since I saw you last? Up to anything in particular?

This time you took a moment to think to yourself before responding, an evil smirk curling across your lips. This was Muffet you were talking too, and you were at _Grillby's._ Maybe it was just you, but you were quite certain that you could quite vividly recall her telling you about her certain fire monster rival the first time the two of you met.  
You contemplated telling her or not.  
Okay, who were you kidding, you weren't going to pretend as if you hadn't already made up your mind as soon as you made the connection.

**To Muffet**

Oh, y'know. 

Fraternising with the enemy.

You waited eagerly for the reply, a large smirk crawling across your face. You had yet to see the usually calm and composed spider-lady be riled up, and you'd be damned if you weren't the one to do it.  
You were actually surprisingly good at getting on their nerves.  
Okay, perhaps 'surprisingly' didn't fit in that sentence.

**From Muffet**

I don't think I know what you are talking about, dearie?

You paused, not wanting to ruin the joke by having to explain it for her. Thankfully your worries disappeared when your phone chimed with another message from her.

**From Muffet**

Wait, you are not suggesting....

You smirked devilishly down at your screen, the build up of a laugh in your throat practically manic. You swallow the laughter before it could escape your lips and cause a scene, instead opting to grin widely at your screen, shooting back your reply.

**To Muffet**

You didn't tell me Grillby was so hot.

Technically, she didn't really need to, and if she thought back to what she knew about you she'd probably realise it, but thankfully she seemed too caught up texting you to comment on it.

**From Muffet**

Careful dearie, you'll make a lady jealous.

Is there a reason for you being there?

**To Muffet**

Was invited along by Red and Stretch.

You glanced over at the two, both drunk off their arses.

**To Muffet**

Pretty sure they're so drunk they've forgotten I'm here

You held your phone in your hands, resting them in your lap to eye the laughing skeletons. Red cackled over some joke Stretch made, shoving the taller skeleton by the shoulder playfully. Neither seemed bothered by it and you got the impression that perhaps they were closer then they liked to let on back at home. 

**From Muffet**

Oh, good.

You furrowed your brows as your dropped your eyes to read the message from Muffet. You merely send back a question mark in reply. 

**From Muffet**

I'm coming to get you.

Was all she said in reply. Your eyes widened in surprise. She was coming to get you? You threw a glance over at Stretch and Red. Well, it wasn't like they'd notice you missing.  
You spun around in your seat to rest your back against the bar's counter. Stretching your arms above your head, you cautiously wondered if sneaking off with Muffet was a good idea. Your eyes once again found the skeletons to your side. It seemed like a dangerous decision. 

You shrugged to yourself. Welp. Fuck it. You were bored. 

If the two questioned where you went later on, you'd merely tell them you got bored and walked home. Maybe they'd be pissed, but they didn't seem like the type to care enough to really get on your case about it. 

After a few minutes of silence after that last text from Muffet, you turned off your apps and switched off your phone, figuring the next time you heard from her would be in person. You kept to yourself in the meantime, waiting patiently for her arrival.

You briefly wondered if you should be considerate and wait outside for her, so she doesn't have to come in. A amused grin pulled across your lips. Or you could just sit here and make her have to walk into her rival's store.  
May as well spice up the night for everyone at his point you snickered to yourself. 

In the meantime you wondered what Sans and Papyrus were up to. Either sleeping to catch some extra z's before you went out again, or patiently waiting for you to get back. You hoped for the former, however the latter seemed more probable. 

A silence swept across the room. Well, silent excluding the two particularly drunk skeletons giggling to each other like little kids.  
There, right in front of the doorway stood Muffet. She kept her chin up as her eyes swept over the building. There was a boldness in her gaze, defiantness twisted across her expression, no doubt symptoms of the confidence she was wearing as she entered her rival's restaurant. 

Her eyes seemed to soften as they landed on you. You slid off your seat onto your feet, aware of the burning gaze in your back from Grillby's curious stare. You didn't bother to throw a look back at the bartender or the wasted skeletons, instead taking to her side. 

"Come on now," she leaned forward towards you and whispered, running her eyes around the building as if the two of you were spies in foreign territory, "Let's get out of here, I'd rather not spend a moment longer here then necessary." Her gaze shifted past you, eyes hardening to no doubt throw a glare at the stunned bartender.  
One of her hands slipped into your own, another pushing open the door and pulling you outside with her and into the cool night.

She grinned back at you playfully as you stumbled out onto the sidewalk, the bar's door swinging shut behind you. She waited for you to regain your composure, standing politely beside you, her hand still lingering in yours.  
Once your two feet were firmly on the ground you shifted your eyes over to Muffet, who still had a warm smile stretched across her lips. 

"Where are we going?"

Muffet stopped to ponder this for a moment, the grin curled across her face never wavering. She hummed to herself thoughtfully, "Well, I would suggest my place, but I suppose we shouldn't rush into things too quickly, right dearie~?"

Your eyes widened at what she was implying, a huff of amusement escaping your lips as you dropped your gaze to bashfully stare down at the concrete sidewalk. "Yeah, yeah," you mused, "where are we really going through?"

"Nowhere in particular..." she paused to use a second hand to cup the hand already resting in hers. "I wanted to just take a walk with you," she informed you before dropping her gaze to stare off into the distance down the street. "You see dearie I-" she cut herself off, seemingly debating something. You stared at her curiously, but allowed her to rearrange her thoughts before saying anything. "I am sure you are already aware, however, I am quite interested in getting to know you better, dearie," she started slowly before returning her gaze back to you, a hint of royal purple deepening across her cheeks. "And I would love to show you some of my favourite spots around the city, because I wish for you to know me better, too."

You bit your tongue, slightly stunned by such a sincere confession. You weren't entirely sure how to deal with this display of raw emotion, using your free hand to awkwardly scratch at the back of your head. "Heh- yeah... That'd be cool."

Muffet seemed to pick up on the fact you weren't going to be spewing poetic lines of comfort or immense passion any time soon, an amused smile quirking at her lips as she huffed at your apparent antics. She dropped the hand resting atop of yours, but otherwise curled her fingers in between yours with her other hand clasped in yours.  
"Well, alright. I suppose we had better get going, we wouldn't want to waste all our time _here_ of all places." Muffet looked back distastefully at Grillby's bar before returning her eyes back to you.

You nodded, and Muffet spun gracefully to walk down the street at a leisurely pace with you by her side.  
Muffet took you all around the city, showing you where the monster markets were held every second Sunday, the restaurant district of the city and where she originally wanted to set up her little café, along with where her sewing and embroidery class she went to every Thursday night was held and all her other favourite places to visit.  
The two of you appreciated the Halloween décor spotting down the streets and you idly asked her what her plans for Halloween would be tomorrow. Apparently she would be giving the alternate version of herself a hand in their own café, explaining that her other version was using their café to contribute to one of the events for tomorrow, so little monsters and humans alike could trick or treat from their store and as such it would be very busy. 

You bobbed your head in acknowledgment of everything she said to you, occasionally commenting to add your own comedic remark or opinion. Muffet seemed to appreciate your keen interest on learning about more of herself and interest, a large, pleased grin pulling across her face.  
It was a relaxing, yet exciting night, and you still managed to make It back home before eleven like you had told Papyrus to find them both indeed sprawled across the couch in the lounge room, snacking while they waited for your return. 

You grinned widely at the two as soon as your eyes shifted to find them. They returned the favour.  
You felt something momentarily soften in your chest as your boys shifted off the couch to approach you, It was moments like these that reminded you things weren't all bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is so much longer then I originally intended lol.
> 
> Also, I got more song suggestions fitting to Mc's theme from WDGaster (hope you're alright with the slight shout-out).  
> If you're interested the songs are listed here:  
> LittleJayneyCakes' cover of 'Again' by Crusher-P  
> 'Path of the Lonely' by Cami-Cat  
> JubyPhonic's cover of 'Hikari Yo' (O Light)
> 
> I love hearing you guy's theories and ideas and opinions, so don't be afraid to tell me what you guys are thinking! :)


	39. HALLOWEEN PART 1

When you'd first woken up this morning you had been utterly unaware that today would be any different from any other. You shifted over under your covers, curling into yourself further to savour the warmth and comfort your bed provided before you needed to slip out of your blankets and wake Sans up so the three of you could watch the sunrise as you pondered the night before. You ended up walking home yourself and conveniently Stretch and Red shortcutted home at roughly the same time. However, they were intoxicated to the point that when they spotted you they simple grinned drunkenly and stumbled off to bed.

You'd just begun to begrudgingly delve into the cold morning air feet first when Papyrus had thrown open the door (apologising profusely afterwards for startling you) trying desperately to hide the way he jittered with excitement as he marched over to you with a wide grin spread across his face. _'Y/n! It's Halloween! I Simply Cannot Wait To Spend It With You!'_

A soft smile twisted across your lips as the words rung in the back of your head. Currently you sat lazily out on the front veranda, legs thrown over the armrests of your seat and hood pulled up over your face. Papyrus had already been invited trick or treating out with Blueberry and Creampuff's group and you figured you'd tag along too. Sans didn't want to go, instead waiting until the two of you got back tonight so the three of you could go out by yourselves. While you and Creampuff were more familiar with the other skeletons of the household, they were all rather standoffish with Sans, not that he wasn't apart of the problem too. As such, it wasn't often you saw Sans mingling with anyone else. 

Across from you sat Green, a book laid on the table in front of him as he ran his eye-lights across the pages intently. You watched him with mild interest, gaze flickering down to the cover of the book before back to him. Green's gaze suddenly lifted from the pages and locked with yours, you paused, before quickly diverting them away over to where his brother, G, was sitting, bringing a cigarette to his teeth from where it sat between two of his fingers.

Apparently the two opted to come sit outside to escape the chaos ensuing inside. You just happened to already be out here. It was still relatively early and breakfast was being delayed because of the rush of excitement buzzing through the house. You'd chosen to hang out on the back porch but found that space was quickly invaded by Edge, Black and Razz who were making last minute adjustments to their traps. Hence why you now found yourself out on the front veranda. 

A pleasantly warm mug of black tea was tucked in between your hands as your gaze flickered from either brother boredly. You had wandered into the kitchen this morning to find something to eat, figuring that breakfast was more then likely going to be forgotten and found Creampuff already there, who had ended up making you a cup of tea. You certainly didn't strike him as the tea type, but apparently he was. 

Sipping on your tea, you eyed the Halloween decorations laid strewn around the yard. "You two don't exactly looked thrilled for Halloween," you commented. Both brother's gazes flickered over to you at the disturbance of the previous silence.

"We Are Not Quite As Excitable As Some Of Our Other Counterparts," your eyes flickered over to meet Green's, "Though That Is Not To Say We Do Not Look Forward To Tonight."

You bobbed your head in acknowledgement, "You going trick or treating?" You questioned, slumping back in your seat, tucking your hands away in your pockets.

"I Would Like To, Although I Am Not Quite Familiar With The Surface Just Yet..."

You paused, humming to yourself. You didn't blame him. This city was big, with lots of winding streets and sudden turns. It was particularly easy to get lost. If it weren't for the fact that this version of Ebott City retained the same basic layout as your own, you'd probably be in the same boat as he is. "You should go with Creampuff and his group- 'm sure they won't mind."

Green gave you a inquisitive look, "Classic Papyrus," G clarified for you, earning him a glance from you his way. Green nodded in understanding before pausing to contemplate the offer to himself.

"Well, I Will Certainly Inquire 'Creampuff' About This," he answered after a few moments of consideration, a small smile tugging at his teeth at the thought. It fell silent after that statement, leaving you to listen idly to the muffled voices of the louder skeletons from inside as they talked and the thumping of their boots as they ran around getting ready for tonight. 

"...Where'd you get the nickname Creampuff from anyway?" Your gaze shifted over to meet G's whose golden eyelight's were already resting on you curiously. He was slumped back in his chair, one leg thrown lazily over the other as a puff of smoke escaped past his teeth, the cigarette idly held away from him.

You grimaced, failing to hide the sour frown pulling at your lips at the thought of that day. That particular day had been going rather well, of course it was right after you'd allowed yourself to have a relatively good time that things decided to take a turn for the worst. You felt a pang of annoyance as Edge's smug face flashed in your mind, biting your tongue so as to not allow the bitter words resting on it to tumble out.  
"Uh, just a cooking incident that happened a little while ago.." You answered after a few moments of silence from your behalf. 

Meeting both G's and Green's gazes, both of them sat slightly straighter in their seats, obviously having not missed the expression that had settled across your face just previously.  
A beat of silence passed before Green spoke up, "Correct Me If I Am Wrong, Y/n, But Would It Be Safe Of Me To Assume That Perhaps That Particular 'Cooking Incident' Did Not Go According To Plan?" 

You shrugged after a moment, "Nah, wasn't nothing having to do with the cooking itself- it's what happened right after." The skeleton siblings gave you a curious look, G smothering out his cigarette on the table while eyeing you with interest. 

"Well, go on," He waved his hand as if to gesture you to continue. You quirked a eyebrow at him and he grinned in return. Piercing your lips, your gaze flickered back over to Green for a moment as you contemplated telling them or not. 

You had no doubt that telling them that story would only grant you more questions in which you didn't really feel like answering- especially considering you were in a rather good mood this morning, however, you knew that they could quite easily find answers elsewhere, and you certainly didn't want them to get it from someone who might have not seen the situation quite like you did.  
Your eyes returned back to the brothers after having made up your mind as you sat up slightly straighter in your seat to properly address them.

"You remember that thing I told you about not wasting food around Sans?" Your eyes flickered over to G in question, while Green looked over curiously.

G nodded, "Yup."

"Yeah, well, it isn't just him- it's me and Paps too."

G raised a bone-brow at you. "Let me guess- someone did just that in front of one of ya."

Stiffly, you nodded in confirmation. "Yeah."

"Who?"

Green shifted his gaze back to G to give him a stern look, "Brother- Do You Not Think That We Have Been Privy Enough?" 

G shifted his eyelight's over to his brother to respond before you cut him off. "Edge," you replied simply.

Both brothers moved their eyelight's over to you. "I... See," Green hummed to himself, G looking particularly interested with your reply. "Well, If You Do Not Mind Answering Our Questions, Why Exactly Is It That You Three Are So Particular About Not Wasting Food?"

You tensed. You figured that this question may come up, but a part of you had hoped that someone had already previously forewarned them about this subject. Would save yourself from a lot of uncomfortableness. You found it quite frustrating that it was always you who ended up having to explain these sorts of questions to everyone. You supposed it made sense, Papyrus was- well, he was a Papyrus- one particularly similar to Creampuff in that regard, and nobody except for yourself and Papyrus found Sans approachable enough to have that sort of conversation with him. So naturally, of course that left you.  
A sigh slipped past your lips and you shifted your gaze past both brothers with an uneasy feeling weighing in your gut and a sour taste sitting on your tongue. Clenching your teeth, you were frustrated that it was so hard for you to just say the damn words. It was so simple, yet the stigma attached to them made you sick to your stomach. 

When you first blurted out those words it was in the rush of the moment, adrenaline pulsing in your veins and racking against your skull to the extent you hardly felt the anxiety of telling everyone. It was different now, because here you were, sitting calmly left to your thoughts and the ability to actually decide to tell them or not.

You forced yourself to relax, still not meeting either brother's eye socket's. "Uh... back underground, well I was there too. Had been for years," Both brothers looked surprised, like every other monster you'd told previous, particularly Toriel, as you watched the shock morph across her expression back at Muffet's Bakery. "But well, food was limited," you had to swallow the bitter chuckle threatening to escape at the grossly overexaggerated statement. Your nails dug into your palm, you could feel their gazes on you and you shifted uncomfortably, "We were starving."

Green sucked in a breath from where he sat, both tensing in their seats, falling silent. It took you a moment to find the confidence to meet their shrunken eye-lights. Looking them in the sockets, you forced yourself to shove down the unease and anxiety, squaring your shoulders as you forced yourself into a more confident state. You couldn't let it get to you- you had to be better then that, be stronger. 

Like the day you told the rest of the household, it seem both Green and G were at a loss for what to say. Once again you didn't blame them. Even you weren't entirely sure what there was to say to something like that. 

A breathy, uneasy chuckle escaped your lips, "He didn't know at the time," you went on to say, "Edge, I mean." That was the sole reason you had relented from your previous plan to dust the monster. 

Hesitantly, Green nodded, sitting up straighter in his seat then you'd have thought possible, visibly racking his skull for something to say.  
You quirked an eyebrow at him, forcing an easy-going smile across your lips. No point being bitter towards the two of them- neither had done wrong by you, unlike some of the other skeletons you knew. However, you were slightly agitated knowing that this would likely ruin your mood for most if not all of the day. You just hoped you found something to do to distract you. 

"Don't worry, you don't have to say anything," you reassured, staring into the distance, not bothering to hide the withdrawn expression across your face.  
You felt rather exposed after having to explain that, suddenly craving Papyrus' or even Sans' comfort. 

"I... I Feel Terribly For You," Your eyes shot back to Green, who, surprisingly, looked as if he'd just been kicked in the gut. Your brows furrowed in confusion. Green gently slid the book in front of him out of the way, gaze still locked with yours, "However, I Am Quite Glad That You Have Made It Out Of That Situation," Your whole body jumped as Green's hand moved to rest on top of yours, shrinking as Green's eyelight's met yours with a gentle intensity, "I Would Like You To Know, That If Either Axe, Crooks Or Yourself Ever Need A Hand With Something, I Will Always Be Willing To Assist You." 

With widened eyes you searched Green's face intently, only distracted from this task as your heart jolted in your chest in surprise at G's deeper voice, shifting your eyes over to him..

"Heh, yeah. Me too."

You weren't entirely sure how to react having found the raw sincerity across their faces, but forced yourself to nod after a few tense moments, Green's significantly larger hand still resting upon yours.  
Even after you nodded, both stared back at you just as intensely. In attempts to escape the suffocatingly sombre atmosphere you gently pulled your hand away from Green's, refraining from doing so quickly so as not to come off as rude. 

Warily, your eyes flickered from either between of them. "Yeah, okay.." You were afraid to take their word for it, but the burning honesty in their sockets was too intense to ignore.  
You forced your heart to settle in your chest. "....Thanks."

_____________

You weren't quite as relaxed as you had been when you first woke up after that particular conversation with G and Green, but you'd been busying yourself with menial tasks around the house with whatever Papyrus, Creampuff or Blue asked for you to assist with. It provided a good enough distraction that the day didn't drag on as long as you assumed it may. 

With skeletons both big and small waltzing around the house adorned in costumes, you felt oddly out of place. Unlike most of the household, you were just wearing your regular clothes. In fact, you, Sans and perhaps G and Green were the only ones that weren't in some sort of get-up. Granted, what certain skeletons considered to be 'costumes' generally consisted of some sort of graphic T-shirt or something alike (not to mention the particularly scandalous skeleton body-suit Red was dressed in that Stretch and Mutt were falling over each other laughing at). Though nonetheless, just in a simple jacket and jeans felt as if it really stood out amongst everyone else. 

You were jolted out of your harmless observation of the room when the chime of a doorbell bounced through the bottom floor of the house. Glancing over your shoulder, Blueberry announced that he would get it. You were curious as to who was here. You hadn't overheard anyone discussing having anyone over (especially seeing as almost everyone was going to be out of the house anyway), and you really doubted anyone would come all the way out here to trick or treat.  
Your curiosity was sated when whoever was at the door walked past the doorway for the room you were in and in came three particularly familiar faces standing beside Blueberry. Toriel and her children, Chara and Frisk. 

They ran their gazes over the room with smiles slapped across their faces. Frisk dressed as a pirate and Chara as a knight (if the plastic bucket with holes cut out where the eyes should be being used for a helmet was anything to go by). 

It was just as you went to advert your eyes when Classic suddenly appeared beside them, looking as relaxed as ever. You squinted at him. For whatever reason, you weren't really buying the whole 'endlessly laid back' thing, despite how well he played it. He was quick to chat up the three, both children seemingly eager to see him. You pierced your lips thoughtfully, before turning away to go wander off and do your own thing.  
Currently Papyrus was over with some of the other louder skeletons, all of them showing off their own costumes. Maybe you'd go over and join them. 

"Y/n!" You froze. You froze because there were exactly three residents of this household that ever addressed you by name and the voice that just called yours did not belong to any of them. Relaxing, you spun around on your heel, throwing Chara a curious look as they grinned over at you from where they were.  
"Come here!" They waved you over.

You paused, eyes flickering over to Classic, who was already staring your way. You paused to meet his neutral gaze, dropping your eyes back to the kid when he was first to break his eyes away. You hesitantly shuffled over to the kid.  
Chara and Frisk from your own experience weren't bad, they were pretty good kids, actually. Unlike yourself at that age. However, you weren't entirely sure where you and Toriel currently stood. Last you'd seen her was when you first moved back in here- after she found out you stole all of that stuff from the mall....  
You were quick to divert your eyes from her own as soon as your gazes met. Yeah, that was awkward. 

"Ah, Y/n." You were a little surprised when she turned out to be the person to greet you as you wandered over, joining the not-quite-a-circle the group had formed. "It has been a while, how have you been?"

Your words were stolen from you when two pairs of arms suddenly wrapped themselves around your torso. You tensed, slowly glancing down at the tops of the heads of both Frisk and Chara, who snaked their arms around your midsection tightly in greeting. You didn't know what to do, this wasn't the first time you'd come in such close proximity of one of them since having gotten to the surface, but it was no less awkward. You still weren't used to the feeling of flesh pressing up against your own- it had been such a long time. It made you uncomfortable- antsy, even. Human flesh was so much squishier, softer then any other, even the skin of Muffet's hand had an entirely different texture.  
Feeling the both of them, up against you and hugging you, being so close to you. You gritted your teeth to refrain from shuddering.  
They were people, you reminded yourself. 

You didn't allow yourself to remember the sickening flavour melt across your tongue, you clenched your teeth. Now you were hungry. 

Awkwardly, you patted the both of their heads, in which they giggled in return before pulling away before you chocked out a response, "...yeah, alright."

Toriel stared down at you in amusement, and you ignored Classic's blatant staring from the corner of your eye. 

"Will you be going trick or treating?" You twisted your head to look over at Frisk, who was squinting up at you with one eye, the other covered with a plastic eye patch. You shrugged in response. You were kind of planning to tag along with Creampuff and Papyrus, but it wasn't exactly set in stone. Frisk seemed to light up at your reply, strangely enough. "Great! You can come with us then!"

Chara perked from beside them. "That's a great idea! You have to come now!" They cheered. 

"Oh, children," Toriel chuckled, affectionately petting Chara, who was closest to her. "You can't simply make that decision for her."

The two seemed to pause in consideration, before humming to themselves. "Oh, alright," Frisk pouted, no sooner that pout being quickly replaced with their signature grin. "Would you like to come trick or treating with us then?"

You didn't reply straight away, gaze flickering over from Frisk to Chara's hopeful gazes. "Uh... only if Toriel is alright with it," you replied sheepishly, shifting weight from one foot to another. You didn't really have a problem with it, you and your boys would be going out together later tonight anyway, so it wasn't like you were going to miss out on anything. However, despite the fact Toriel appeared non-hostile towards you, you still were rather stand-offish with her. Not to get the wrong idea or anything, you still respected the woman for what she had done for you, but you were far off from what you'd consider to be friends. 

Toriel quirked an eyebrow at you, "Of course I am alright with it- as long as you behave yourself," You stood straighter as she squinted at you as she said the last part, tone firm enough to let you know that the warning wasn't just in jest. Stiffly, you nodded, in which she immediately relaxed. 

Chara and Frisk cheered from beside you, apparently pleased that you were coming. During this time you took a moment to glance over at Classic, who was oddly silent....and still staring at you. You quirked an eyebrow at him, but he didn't react, simply staring a moment longer before shifting his gaze back over to he other three.  
"Hey, are you going to dress up?" Chara questioned, in which you shook your head. "Awww, why not?"

"Don't have anything to wear," you shrugged simply. The two seemed displeased with this.

"Surely you can come up with something! It doesn't even have to be good!" Chara encouraged.

"Yeah!" Frisk grinned, "I mean, look at Chara's helmet!" They patted the red bucket-helmet for effect. Chara's eyes went wide and they squinted over at Frisk.

"Hey!"

Frisk laughed and after a moment a grin broke out across Chara's stubborn pout. "Well, if you don't have anything, we could help you make something?" They offered after a moment.

You paused, eyeing Chara's 'Helmet' and the carboard sword in their grasp. "....I'm good. Thanks."

The two nodded, unfazed by your answer. "Well, okay! We'll be going in twenty minutes! So if you need to do anything you probably should do that now," Frisk informed you, a lopsided grin resting across their lips. 

With mild amusement written across your expression, you bobbed your head in confirmation. "Alright. I'll meet you guys back here soon."

The two nodded at you in farewell, before turning to each other to chatter eagerly. Before spinning to exit the room, you shifted your gaze to flicker from Toriel to Classic, acknowledging the both of them before moving to go. Nobody stopped you as you slipped past the doorway and went to head upstairs.  
You didn't have any costumes to wear, but you did have one thing in particular that you could probably get away with. 

Seeing as most of the skeletons were all concentrated in the one room you were just in, you didn't pass anyone as you skipped up the stairs two at a time and strolled through the hallways of the second storey. Even from up there you could hear the muffled voices of Creampuff and Edge, who were still comparing outfits. A small grin curled across your lips in amusement as you idly listened to the two of them.

You paused your listening when you halted. Not in front of your own door, but Sans'. Glancing over at the shut wooden door, you figured you may as well step in just to see what he was up to before you left. All you planned to do was change your shirt and that only took a second. You had plenty of time. 

You didn't bother knocking, none of the three of you really did when it came to each other. Instead you merely told him you were coming in as you twisted the doorhandle so as not to startle him when you walked in. Back in your universe you wouldn't bother, but now that you were living with other people (particularly with ones that Sans' didn't really like), that had changed. 

You found Sans' propped up against the head of his bed, your phone snug in-between his hands as you had allowed him to use it whenever he liked, to watch documentaries on YouTube. His sockets shot up to yours as soon as you entered, the crimson orb in his socket swelling as it rested on you. Closing the door behind you, you shuffled over, ungracefully plopping onto the bed back down, laying across his legs with your feet still resting on the floor.  
Sans stared down at you, unfazed. 

"....Heya."

A small grin spread across your lips. "Hey. You bored watching YouTube yet?" You already knew the answer to that. You knew because it would have been the same answer you would have given if he had asked. Underground, there was no other entertainment other then whatever Papyrus had on VHS (which was usually old Mettaton videos), and of course hunting and watching others getting dusted. If you could call that entertainment. It was impossible to get bored with everything the surface and the internet offered. 

"No," he replied honestly. 

You nodded, before moving your eyes away from him with his still resting on you while you ran your gaze over the room. It was rather bland. He hadn't bothered to decorate it, though you didn't expect him too. He wasn't the type. The only thing he had that really set the room apart from every other standard one was the random articles of clothing on the floor. It wasn't messy per say, but it was enough that Papyrus would scold him for it.  
You grinned wider. As strange as it may sound, you liked when Sans got lazy. It meant he was relaxed. Something that he hardly ever was underground. Well, at least that he hardly every really was, try as he might to pretend, both you and Papyrus knew he wasn't. 

"You don't really get up to much," you noted, to which Sans raised a bone brow at you.

"....Not much to do in this house."

A small laugh slipped past your lips, before you hummed to yourself. "You need to get a hobby."

Your eyes flickered back to Sans, who was still looking at you. ".....A hobby?"

You grinned, "Yeah- something to do," you clarified. Other then when the three of you went out, he really didn't get up to all that much. Sometimes he'd go hunting with you and Papyrus, but that was really it. 

"Huh.... " Sans paused, staring down at you thoughtfully, dropping his hands which was still holding your phone up by his skull beside him, "Can you be my hobby then?"

You choked. "I-what?" It took you a second, before amusement bubbled in your chest, swelling inside you and escaping past your lips in a violent wheeze of laughter. Sans' manic grin spread wider across his face, pleased with your reaction. You jolted forward as you laughed, before slumping back across his legs, staring up at him from where he looked directly down at you with a large toothy grin resting on your lips. Sans' gaze flickered down to it. "Yeah uh- maybe something _other_ then me?"

Sans paused, his grin twitching as if refraining from growing wider. "...but you're the only one I want to do."

You paused, ignoring the faint heat rushing to your cheeks. "Sans!"

"Peaches?"

You rolled your eyes at the big goof, pushing yourself up from his lap. "Whatever," you grinned, meeting Sans' playful gaze. "I'm going out trick or treating, I'll be back later."

Sans paused, before nodding. "....k."

You smile softly over at Sans. His room was dark- it always was as it seemed he had an affinity to never turn his lights on, but the light coming in through his open curtain was more than enough to illuminate the room. The late afternoon sun washing across the area and settling on Sans' bones, displaying that slight glow of his bones, evidence of the magic he was entwined with. "You can still use my phone, I don't need it," you informed him, before spinning around to head to your room.

Sans nodded, picking your phone back up from where he had dropped it beside him. "....Be safe," he said after a moment. You paused from where you stood at the doorway, nodding, before continuing out and gently closing the door behind you with a small grin still playing at your lips.

Sans and Papyrus' company always seemed to lift your spirits, no matter what happened. 

You didn't rush when entering your room. You ruffled through your clothes for that one particular shirt you wore whenever you and Papyrus went out to clean out all of the traps. It was an ordinary white shirt, decorated in the dried blood of every animal you had every maimed and killed on the surface. Bringing the shirt up to your nose, you gave it a whiff. It smelt strongly of blood.  
You squinted down at the shirt, pondering whether it would be a smart move or not on your part.

After a moment of contemplation, you shrugged. Tugging off the jacket and shirt you were already wearing, you shrugged on the bloodstained one. You really needed to get this one washed, it was just hard to do so discreetly with everyone else around. 

Dropping your previous clothes to the ground, you gave your shirt a quick smooth over and turned to exit your room. This particular shirt seemed like appropriate attire for the occasion. 

Making sure to close your door behind you, you made way to head downstairs. You didn't use the entirety of the twenty minutes given to you, but you didn't exactly have much else to do. Shuffling down the hallway in the direction of the stairs, you encountered another familiar face. You tensed. 

"Ah Human!" Razz greeted, his eye lights flickered down to your shirt, "I Must Admit, The Blood On Your Clothing Is Rather Realistic- Though Not As Nearly As Fearsome As My Own Attire!"

You paused, taking a moment to allow your eyes to flicker down to his own 'costume', or the full bodysuit of armour and the sharpened bone attack resting in his left palm like a spear. "....yeah," you replied simply. Ever since that idle threat he had made at you about the whole trap thing, things had been rather tense between the two of you. Or at least, things were tense for you, Razz behaved as if the incident had never even occurred. 

"Mweh!" He chuckled, "I See You Have The Sense To Know When You Have Been Out-Done!"

You narrowed your eyes at the short skeleton, "Welp, sometimes I wish I wasn't the only one around with some sort of sense."

Razz paused, his prideful expression to shoot you a confused look. "I... Is That A Jab At My Intelligence, Human?"

You quirked an eyebrow at him, shrugging from where you were standing at the top of the stairs by Razz. "Dunno, is it?"

Razz narrowed his sockets at you, before gasping, "It Appears It Is! My- You Are Quite A Bold Human, Claiming Such Things- Around Myself, The Malignant Razz, Of All People!"

A smirk curled at your lips, "Eh. I thought you were mature enough to take the criticism."

Razz, who had his teeth parted to speak, suddenly shut his jaw with a clack. He paused, mouth twitching as if to say something before falling silent again, all the while boring his gaze into empty air, conflicted within himself. A grin stretched across your lips. It appeared it was a lot easy to keep the louder skeletons under wraps then one may have thought. Turns out their larges egos worked to your own advantage. You knew it from experience with Papyrus, though still prideful as he was, he was still much humbler then most of his counterparts. Using his own ego against him didn't work as well as it did Edge, and now apparently Razz. 

"Well... Of Course I Am," Razz commented after having taken a few moments to process his own thoughts. "I Believe Myself To Be Quite Mature. Therefore I Shall Graciously Accept Your 'Criticism', Human." Razz paused, before grin curled across his teeth, apparently pleased with the way he worded that.

"Huh, well, blackmailing someone over putting traps up isn't exactly very mature eith-"

"-I Will Not Be Swayed!" You paused, before shrugging. Worth a shot. "Though, I Applaud Your Attempts. Nice Try, Human," he added smugly. 

A sigh slipped past your lips as you stared down at Razz, his hands propped up on his sides. "You going trick or treating?" You questioned after a beat of silence. You still had another five minutes so of free time before you needed to head down. You hadn't spoken to Razz in awhile anyway. He wouldn't be anywhere near the top of the list of who you trusted, but he was entertaining company nonetheless. As suspicious and cold as you would like to be around him, the dark humoured imp was simply too sociable to behave as so around. 

"Why Yes, I Am! Finally I Will Roam These Streets And Show These Humans What A _Real_ Monster Looks Like!" You couldn't help the huff of amusement at the statement. "Will You Be Coming, Human?"

You bobbed your head in confirmation. "Ya. I'm sure the occasion will be a real _treat_."

Razz deadpanned. "Was That A-"

You shrugged. 

Razz sighed dramatically, rubbing the sides of his skull as if he had a headache. "Human, I'm Afraid I Cannot Tolerate Such Poor Humour In My Presence," a grin quirked at your lips, "If You Continue This Kind Of Behaviour I May Just Have To Teach You A Lesson," he squinted up at you.

You merely quirked an eyebrow at him, spitting out the first words that came to mind, "Kinky."

Razz fell silent, sockets blank as he deadpanned up at you in shock. With amusement flickering in your eyes, you watched Razz to gauge his reaction.  
Like wildfire, deep hues of purple painted Razz's cheeks.

"Human! What Have I Said About Speaking To Me In Such A Vile Away?" He scolded. You grinned, remembering your very first conversation with him, when he had threatened to cut off your tongue. 

"Hey bud'- you were the one insisting on giving me a 'lesson'," you grinned with mirth, nonchalant to his glare, "Didn't realise you were into that kinda thing," you winked.

The purple across Razz's face deepened. Clenching his fists he gritted his teeth at you. "...Apparently You Are Very Fond Of The Idea Of Loosing Your Tongue."

You shrugged, "And apparently you don't much care for loosing a few fingers."

A smirk curled across his teeth, "Ha! You Will Not Have Any Teeth To Take My Fingers When I Am Done With You!"

You shifted in your stance, moving into a more playfully defensive position. "Yeah?" You challenged with a dangerous grin tugging at your lips. "Well Go On," your peered down at Razz through lidded eyes, "I've Been Dying For A Taste."

Your soul buzzed excitedly, your teeth clenching in anticipation. Seeing as this was a non-lethal confrontation, surely this made for a pass? The two of you were just playing around anyway, so long as nothing got damaged, you figured you could get away with it.  
You watched as Razz slid into his own defensive position, a deadly but playful smirk stretched across his teeth.

Oh, you were excited. A little afraid, you didn't want to get yourself or your boys in trouble, and afraid you'd go too far. But the adrenaline coursing through your veins overpowered the worry.  
Gosh, you hadn't had a rush like this in ages. Sure, there was a few fights with Undick and Edge and that, but they weren't pleasant feelings. Not like the rush you got when chasing down prey and going in for the kill. Knowing this was entirely playful really got you going. 

Besides, Razz knew the risk of trying to steal your of your tongue. You might not take his fingers like you claimed (he had his brother after all, in which was no doubt just as overprotective as the rest), but one bite. You could get away with one bite.  
You never enjoyed having to do some of the things that you did underground, however, your body reacted very differently to how you did consciously to having others around. Besides, it wasn't like you were going to _eat_ him, you were just going to grant yourself the satisfaction of sinking your teeth into something that you realistically shouldn't. 

The craving just to bite down into tender flesh- or bone, in this case, the hunger bubbling up from the depths of your stomach, it had made it incredibly hard to stay tame. You'd been restricting yourself, carrying food to munch on whenever the hunger reappeared, distracting yourself whenever your thoughts wandered to the topic. Now, just for a few moments, you could relieve yourself of all the stress coiling inside you.  
Just _one_ bite. Razz had practically agreed anyway. 

It was just as Razz made to lunge at you when the both of you froze. 

"Y/n?"

Damnit. 

Hesitantly, you twisted your head to peer down to the bottom of the stairs, where Frisk was standing, squinting up at the two of you. Slowly, you relaxed from your defensive stance and twisted to face the kid, hiding the mild disappointment in your gut. Looks like you got excited for nothing. 

"Yeah?" You called back down, noting the dissatisfied frown tugging on Razz as he too relaxed from his defensive position. 

"We're going now!" They informed you. You bobbed your head In acknowledgement. 

"I'll be down in a sec," you drawled as the kid nodded and walked away, your gaze wandering back over to Razz.

"...Rematch some other time?" You questioned curiously.

Razz's smug smirk respread across his teeth as he stared up at you with his head held high. "I Will Be Anticipating It Eagerly, Human!" He exclaimed. "Besides, I Doubt Your Weak Human Teeth Could Cut Through Me Anyway!"

Snickering, you shot him an amused look. "Guess we'll have to test that theory."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm super sorry I haven't updated in forever- and I literally have no excuse for it.  
> I haven't given up on this fic, however I had lost motivation for a while. Now though, school is out and it's summer/christmas holidays! 
> 
> Hopefully now that i'm off school I can begin to update more regularly again. But also, if you guys ever find that I take more than a week to update, feel free to peer pressure me into doing so, it does help lol. 
> 
> I know Halloween was forever ago, but I'd been planning this chapter for a while and wanted to do something to celebrate the occasion, even if I'm not as familiar with it as the Americans are heh. 
> 
> Next chapter MC will be going trick or treating and hanging with Sans and Papyrus. Lets hope she stays out of trouble.


	40. HALLOWEEN PART 2

Frisk and Chara opted to take your side, Frisk to your left and Chara to your right. Classic, was dawdling just behind Frisk as the four of you took to the streets. Toriel had been generous enough to drive everyone over to one of the larger neighbourhoods around here that was busting and thriving with life and ghoulish fun, which saved Classic from taking a shortcut. Honestly you preferred this alternative, not very fond of the idea of initiating the physical contact necessary for one of those shortcuts with Classic.

It still was only late afternoon and would be another couple of hours until night fall. Until then, mostly small children with their parents, guardians or older siblings wandered the streets, obviously having to go to bed earlier then everyone else. With another two hours until sunset, Frisk and Chara had plenty of time to hit as many homes as possible until they had to head home. The two bounced on their heels excitedly as everyone approached the first house. 

It was a quaint, modern home, with ash grey bricks that built the walls and a cute little white picket fence caging the property. With the two brunette's skipping down the concrete walkway up to the front door, both you and Classic hung behind, pausing at the stairs as Frisk eagerly knocked their fist on the door. 

A sigh escaped your lips, well aware of the suspicious gaze burning into your side. Not all too pleased with the attention, you reluctantly shifted your gaze over to Classic. "What?"

He stared up at you, his sockets slightly narrowed. "...Thought you said you didn't have a costume?" He answered simply, his eye lights flickering down at your shirt. 

At the remark your eyebrows twisted upwards in amusement. Ah, you were wondering how long it would take him to comment on that. You shrugged, "Had something handy."

Classic didn't seem completely satisfied with that explanation. "Huh. Looks awful realistic for a costume, don't you think?"

You couldn't help the tiny smirk twitching at your lips as you shifted your gaze back in front of you. You knew exactly what he was implying, and he was completely correct, but that didn't mean you were going to admit it. "Really? And how would you know what 'realistic' looks like bone-boy? You don't bleed."

Achieving the desired reaction you had been anticipating, Classic froze. Yeah, you had him there. Innocent or not, the guy was hiding stuff too. You wouldn't try to pry, but you were going to make sure he knew fully well that as long as he tried to villainise you, you'd be calling him out for all his dirty little sins he tried desperately to hide as well. 

Waiting patiently for whoever was taking a ridiculously long time inside to answer their door, you shoved your hands away in your pockets, eyeing the busy street behind you as both you and Classic fell silent. A group of small children dressed as ghouls giggled as they walked past, eyeing the house you were at, but had the courtesy to wait until your group was finished before heading over. 

The front door of the house you were at swung open, revealing a man perhaps a few years older then yourself, grinning wildly with one of the largest bowls you'd ever seen tucked under his arm, absolutely overflowing with all kinds of sweets and other tooth-rotting confectioneries. Admittedly, you felt a small hungry churn of your stomach at the display of all the delicious goods, but a few seconds of glaring at the lollies like prey, you managed to pry your eyes away. 

A deep chuckle from beside you, however, came unexpectedly to you. Curiously, your gaze shifted over to meet Classic's as Frisk and Chara took plentiful amounts from the man giving out the sugary treats. Classic eyed you with a particularly wary grin spread across his teeth, but displayed no kind of hostility or suspicion in his gaze. You were put off by this sudden change of attitude from the one just moments ago. Looks like this guy was simply full of surprises. 

You paused to take a retake, before shooting the skeleton a curious look. 

Classic only looked back at you with mild amusement. "Does all food make you that hungry?"

You were hesitant to reply, surprised by Classic's question. Eyes flickering across his sockets, you relented. "....Yes?"

Classic merely nodded, before looking back over at Frisk and Chara with a large grin as they came skipping back over to the two of you, the kids laughing as he shot some sort of joke their way that you didn't hear. You squinted over at Classic, who either missed it or purposefully ignored it. Grunting you spun on your heel to turn to leave alongside the rest of your group, throwing Classic one last suspicious glance before you attended your own business.   
As soon as your group had escaped through the gate of the picket fence, another group of children dragging behind a middle aged women who was looking, frankly, quite miserable, were quick to take your place at the door of the grey house.

You kind on felt on edge with all the little children around. Not for your own sake, but their's. Before the underground, it never occurred to you how utterly unsafe it was to leave your children unattended and running rampant on the streets, taking literal lollies from strangers, where the streets were so packed and busy that it would be hours before anyone would notice anyone was missing.  
All of a sudden, you felt much more antsy about Frisk and Chara being around so much potential danger. The two were important figures here right? Well, at least Frisk was, but wouldn't that make them more of a target?

Your eyes moved to find Frisk, who was marching a few metres in front of you, a pillow case in one hand and Chara's intertwined fingers in the other as Classic shuffled just behind them.   
You couldn't believe how incredibly trusting Toriel would have to be to let Frisk, the literal ambassador of monsters (from what you'd heard), be allowed to go trick or treating. It was in that moment that you remembered Classic, your attention shifting over to him. Would he really be enough to ensure both of their safety?

It only took you a single moment to come to a conclusion. This wasn't Sans- not your Sans anyway, but a Sans nonetheless, and you knew how incredibly capable your own version of him was. No, you couldn't doubt Classic's own ability. Because you had seen the damage Sans could do, you could only imagine what Sans _with_ his fully functioning magic could be like. 

As if he somehow sensed your thoughts were on him, Classic's lazy gaze reached over his shoulder as he turned back to look at you. Quirking a bone-brow at you, you were quick to divert your gaze from him. His own sockets rested on you for a few moments later, before he turned to look back in front of him. 

Frisk and Chara were quick to rush over to the next house, which was significantly more vibrant the last. Unlike the black and white monotone theme of the last house, this property was painted a rich royal blue, with lime green tiles layered to make the bonnet roof.   
It certainly was an... interesting, clash of colours, but somehow it really worked. 

This time Frisk allowed Chara to knock. Very quickly the door swung open, whoever was inside reasonably being prepared for a night-long activity of opening doors and giving out sweets.   
Inside was a woman somewhat your age, perhaps a year or two younger, with what was likely her little sibling dressed as a shark clinging to her leg. 

A grin stretched across her lips as she spotted both Frisk and Chara at her door, complimenting them on their wonderful costumes as she was dressed in her own costume with cheap pink fairy wings attached by the straps of her dress. You quirked an eyebrow in amusement at the girl's getup, only for that amusement to vanish as her lime eyes flickered up past the two children and over to the two of you.  
Shock widened at her eyes, her eyes only resting on you for a split second before quickly settling on Classic. 

Unconsciously you tensed upon noticing her reaction. Frisk and Chara looked up at her curiously as her jaw hung open, her gaze locked with Classic's. Narrowing your eyes you shot her a dirty look as her dumbfounded gaze shifted over your group, which seemed to wake her up out of whatever momentary trance she was in. Shaking her head, a half-hearted laugh slipped past her lips as she begun to fill Chara's and Frisk's bags of lollies. 

Your own gaze slid over to Classic, nearly jumping as his eyes were already on you, watching you curiously. Shooting him a questioning look, he merely continued to look up at you with a neutral grin at his teeth. Huffing in frustration you turned back to face the two children you were tasked with looking after, moving out of the way so they could skip in front of you and head over to the next house. 

This repeated a couple times over, Frisk and Chara would skip up happily to the next house and knock. Sometimes Classic wouldn't even get a glance his way, others a small smile as they looked back at the two of you, but most consisted of some sort of spiteful glare, in which you'd simply snarl right back at them, disgust bubbling in your stomach.   
Nobody had actually said or done anything other then perhaps shoot a few nasty looks, but you could help the rising temperature of your blood as it begun to boil. Completely separated from the rest of society, surrounded by monsters, it was easy to forget how pitiful humanity was at times. 

Leaving the property of a house made of red brick, departing with nothing but a scowl from the home owner, the four of you wandered down the gravel driveway, the rocks crunching under your shoes with both brunette children happily chatting amongst themselves a few metres in front of you.  
You expected Classic to keep up with those two, however were surprised when he stuck by your side. You wondered if that was because he thought you needed more supervision then they did. 

"How long have the monsters of this universe been aboveground anyway?" You breathed, eyeing the back of Frisk and Chara's heads. 

This time it was Classic's turn to appear surprised by being asked such a sudden question. His eyelight's shifted over to you, "Two years now," he replied, a curious edge to his voice. 

You hummed to yourself at this new found information. Two years, what you could only imagine felt like an eternity for monsters, and mere seconds for the rest of the world. Considering monsters had been around for two years and there was still a fair bit of hostility towards them, you could only imagine what it would have been like when they first arrived. You could only imagine what the reaction might have been in your world.   
You wondered what exactly happened to monsters that were freed from the underground in your own universe. 

All of a sudden, as selfish as it was to admit, you were much more at ease knowing you and your boys were in this universe. 

"Why?" He questioned a moment later. 

You broke out of your thoughts to spare him a glance. Staring over at him thoughtfully for a second before returning your gaze to the street in front of you. You shrugged. "Just thought you were getting a whole lot a bad looks, considering how long people have had time to adjust to monsters already."

Classic rose a bone-brow up at you curiously, evidently not having expected such a response. You could feel his eye-lights searching the side of your face from the angle he could see you at, before he turned to look at Frisk and Chara, who were leading the two of you down the driveway of the next house. 

"Heh. Yeah. I noticed the looks you were shooting _those_ humans."

You stiffened at his remark, eyes widening. Shit- you weren't about to get some scolding for that were you? Your jaw opened so you could justify yourself, only to be cut off.

"I appreciate it."

Your jaw clacked shut. Still stiff, you slowly tilted your head to look over at Classic, who was by your right, gaze already lazily anticipating your own. At first you weren't entirely sure you had heard him right, eyes wide in surprise. After a moment of simply meeting his gaze as Frisk and Chara went and knocked on the next house's door, you slowly began to relax.   
He was serious.

You shifted from where you stood to turn and fully face the short skeleton, searching his sockets doubtfully. Classic was silent under your searching gaze, his hands tucked away in his pockets as he allowed you to search his expression.   
It was only as Chara and Frisk came skipping back past you two to head to the next house did you break your gaze to look over at them as they quickly went and headed over to the next property.   
Not wanting to fall too far behind you simply turned around to follow behind the excitable pair, Classic not hesitating to take your side.

You mostly stared down at your feet, silently searching for the right reply. Should you just brush it off? Should you be defensive? You weren't entirely sure the appropriate way to respond. You certainly didn't like Classic enough to want to be all friendly with him, but you didn't want to provoke him and get you into more trouble. Should you just not respond at all?

"....I've been a real asshole, haven't I?"

You weren't sure where his sudden talkative mood came from, but you tilted your head to shoot him a curious look. Though his gaze was on you, he seemed to be in a world of his own. His bone-brows furrowed as he lost himself to his thoughts, only to be pulled from them as your reply slipped from your lips before you could properly think over them. "You asking me or yourself that?"

Classic fell silent, and you didn't bother to look over at him to gauge a reaction, merely pausing at the steps of a pretty white and gold edged home as Frisk and Chara giddily skipped up them. 

"....Heh, guess a bit of both, really."

Only after his next comment did you bother to look over at him. You were a little surprised at the hints of sweat beading at the rim of his skull. A moment later a breathy sigh slipped through his teeth, and you knew to remain silent, knowing he had something to say. What he was going to say, was a mystery to you, and although the conversation had started off alright and didn't appear to be heading somewhere bad, you couldn't help the small amounts of anxiety clenching in your chest.

At Classic's own visible tenseness, you yourself stiffened. As far as you knew, you hadn't done anything to grant any further punishments. Sure, you did seek out a bit of trouble from time to time, but otherwise you'd been relatively well behaved. You waited in anxious anticipation of what words would spill from behind his teeth. 

"....I think, no, I know I made the wrong decision to treat you and... Axe and Crooks the way I have," he started. Your eyes widened, recounts of that one conversation you had with him that one night flashing in your mind. "And about this whole... 'supervision' thing to go out....forget it. I was being a massive arsehat and a control freak. You don't gotta have someone to come and babysit ya."

Frisk and Chara descended the stairs of the house and walked past you two, obviously expecting the two of you to keep up, grins slapped across their faces as their held their gradually growing pillowcase of loot.

"I... I've said it before, but I am sorry. I just..." His pinpricks which were previously glued to your own eyes, shifted away from you, sweat trickling down the side of his skull. "I don't know what got into me..." He momentarily trailed off, and you knew that one sentence wasn't completely honest, but you didn't push for it. You had a feeling whatever the reason may be, was a personal one. "Listen I... I don't expect us to be best bud's or nothin', but know that I ain't gonna have a repeat of this. From now on you'll be treated just as fairly as everyone else."

Temporarily stunned, it took you a second to find your words. Hesitantly, you quirked an eyebrow down at him. "How can I be so sure you really mean that?" You questioned slowly, watching his expression carefully.

His gaze locked with your own, burning with some sort of unknown determination. Burning with promise, you realised a moment later. You stared back at him just as intently, testing the depths of how far this unspoken oath really went. After finding the determination in his sockets unable to bend under your own will, you relented.

Relaxing, the two of you merely stared silently over at each other. Finally, a quiet sigh tumbled past your lips, a small and tight, but genuine smile curling at your lips. 

"....Alright. Let's go catch up to Frisk and Chara before they realise we're not with them, yeah?"

____________________

The internet up at the surface was simply astounding, absolutely awe-inspiring. A 2 dimensional plateform filled with limitless amounts of information in all forms that data could come in. Of course, once upon a time there was the undernet, all set up and functional and free for anyone to use back underground, but after the breakage of the core, the entire system had collapsed.

However, Sans was relishing in the bountiful amounts of information the videos off of 'YouTube' served him. Sitting snug wedged in the corner of two walls meeting where his bed was pushed up against, his sockets bored into the screen of your phone, of an origin Sans was unsure of.   
Now, it felt like an eternity since Sans had anything to do with anything even relatively scientific, in fact, those days were mostly blank voids of inaccessible memories nowadays, however, his inexplicable curiosity of the world didn't die with the remainders of whatever hope he may have once had before the famine, it had simply dulled to the point in which he didn't quite find the need to dress in lab coats and mess around with glass vials and vibrantly coloured chemicals. 

No, that was long behind him. A version of him that felt like a completely different lifetime.   
Sans tried not to think over it. Remembering such a time hurt too much, the parts that he could remember, anyhow.

Grunting to himself he went to click on the next recommended video, something about the mysteries of blackholes, a topic in which Sans' had never heard of. However, just as he went to press it a chime rung from the device as a little grey notification popped up, directly under where his thumb went to press.  
Sans glared at the fragile little screen with annoyance, waiting for the device to open up to whatever app the notification he'd pressed on took him before he could go back to watching that video. 

Though, those plans went out the window as his sockets went wide in surprise. 

His one working eyelight shrunk in his socket, burning as it ran across the text on the screen. 

**From Muffet**

Hello dearie~ Very busy at the café today! There a plenty of little children looking to trick or treat here. My alternate version certainly has an... interesting idea of how to run an establishment. Giving away so may sweets and goods is bad for business I'll have you know!

Anyway, I imagine you may be busy currently, so I will not waste your time. I was wondering if you would be available again this Friday? I have been having simply a wonderful time with you dearie, I'd love to see you again, sometime soon.

Sans narrowed his sockets as he squinted at the screen. You had been going out with Muffet? Why hadn't you told him of this? Sans gritted his teeth at the slight sting of his soul, having found out you were keeping secrets from him. He didn't know the spider woman very well, he just knew he didn't like her. Sans wondered if this version of Muffet was very different from the one he knew.   
Sans felt a small amount of jealousy claw at his soul. He understood you were bound to make friends sooner or later, he just wished you had told him about it.  
Sans was pulled out of his contemplation as the chime of another notification dragged him back. His gaze once again found the screen.

This time he froze.

The slight hurt eating at his soul melted away as his soul went dead in his chest.

His fingers twitched.

A deep, soul trembling rumble escaped Sans' throat, a low, menacing growl escaping his teeth as his crimson eyelight shrunk to the size of a prick in his socket was pinned to the screen. 

**From Muffet**

Oh, and remember dearie... this will be our third date...

and you know what that means~ ;)

Sans' phalanges squeezed tightly around the edges of the device, his hands trembling to the point he was anxious the phone in-between his palms may crumble into pieces. 

What was this about a.... _date?_

Anger, hot and fierce coiled in Sans' bones, a deadly mix of jealousy and protectiveness snaking it's ugly grasp around his soul and squeezing, tightly.   
He couldn't manage it, he couldn't pry his widen sockets from the screen, a manic grin curling at his teeth. 

You had been _dating_.... **Muffet?**

His bones rattled, the urge to reach for his axe pulsed in his soul. 

Muffet huh? What was so special about her?

Sans' jaw clenched, breathing heavily as he urged himself to remain seated on his bed. If he moved, he knew exactly what he would do.  
His eyelight flickered over to the handle of his axe, visible from where it was resting against the side of the bed. 

Oh he hated himself for it, his ability to just sit there, while the person who was wrapping their filthy fingers around you, trying to steal you from him was still out there, breathing.

No, he simply wouldn't allow it.

His fingers twitched.

And slowly, his fingers snaked up his torso, resting a single phalange in his broken socket. His entire body rattled as pain shot through his skull, right from his empty socket. With one more tug for good measure, and teeth clenched so tightly they begun to ache, he dropped his free arm back to his side, the phone long forgotten in his lap as he glared manically at the wall across from him. 

Oh, it took everything, absolutely everything to fight against every fibre of his being that was screaming at him to hunt the spider bitch down and show her exactly what happens when someone tries to touch his mate. 

Whether you knew it or not, you were **his.**

Sans wasn't nearly as patient as he used to be, but he'd wait, he'd wait for when he could finally take you as his own.

Oh god, that challenging smile that crept across your lips, the fire that burnt in those hardened eyes of yours. 

Everything about you, he wanted it- he _needed_ it. 

He didn't know how he could do it, look you in those eyes of yours and not force you under him and capture those lips of yours. His body trembled at the thought of you, the thought of pressing his teeth up against places of you that he otherwise wouldn't dare.

His breath caught in his throat as he released he was letting himself get too worked up. 

He wanted you, badly, but he couldn't rush you. He didn't know if you were ready just yet, but sooner or later you'd come around, and he'd be here, waiting. 

Sans hadn't realised how long he spent lost in his thoughts until Papyrus knocked on his door, striding inside and eagerly splitting everything he'd collected with him.

"Brother! Look How Ever So Generous Humans Here Are!" He'd grin, moving over to the bed where Sans now sat with his two feet planted on the floor. 

Sans would look up at his brother curiously, not bothering to say anything as Papyrus showed off his collection of sweets and carefully poured them on the bed beside him, where Papyrus proceeded to split everything evenly.

Sans couldn't complain. He was hungry anyway.

The two brothers proceeded to spend the remainder of the afternoon together, munching on lollies while Papyrus made pleasant discussion as Sans attentively listened, both being mindful to leave plenty for you for when you finally returned. Sans felt himself relax in his brothers presence, an effect both you and Papyrus seemed to have on him. Sans took comfort in being beside his younger brother, his eyes glued to the wide grin curled across his teeth. Ever since they had gotten to the surface, Sans had noticed Papyrus' had begun to grin much more genuinely then previously. 

However, that wasn't the sole reason behind the sincerity that had begun to return to his brother's smile. No, you were apart of the reason too. And he was certain of it, because you'd done the same for him too. You'd given both brothers something else to smile for, when there was otherwise no reason to. 

And for that, both brothers would work to win the world for you. 

__________________

By the time the group of you returned back to the beginning of the neighbourhood where Toriel was waiting patiently in her car, both Frisk and Chara's pillowcases were absolutely overflowing with sweets and sugary goods. With a mixture of amusement and envy your eyes flickered from the pillowcases over to Toriel, who had yet to spot the group of you.  
Knowing her, there was absolutely no way either of the kids were going to be allowed to have all of that. Bit of a spoilsport move on her own part.

"Mum! Mum!" The two cheered as they raced over to the car, eager to show off their winnings to Toriel, who had startled at the noise. She quickly spotted the two of them, face lighting up as she quickly got out of the car to embrace the two of them as they held up their pillowcases.

"My!" She gasped. You stopped a comfortable distance from her, waiting for the inevitable. "That's quite the stash you two have gathered! Be sure not too eat them all in one go."

The two pouted but it was quickly replaced by a grin, already shoving their hands inside the pillowcases and forcing sweet treats past their lips. Particularly Chara, who hadn't managed to save any of the chocolate they'd been given, except perhaps the chocolate that had evaded their tongue that was stuck around their lips. 

"Yup! Would you like some?" Frisk questioned, tilted their head to the side as they began to dig around in their bag to pull out a few options for their mother.

"Why, thank you Frisk, what wonderful manners."

Chara perked up at that remark, "Oh! Would you like some of mine too?" They eagerly questioned, dumping a handful of lollipops and wizz fizz in their mother's paw. 

Toriel chuckled at her children's antics. "Ah, thank you also Chara. Now, it is getting late, it is about time I be getting you two home and into bed!"

The two children groaned before shuffling off over to the car and begrudgingly getting in. You watched the two with a ghost of a grin at your lips. You'd forgotten how funny children could be.  
If it weren't for monsterkid, you'd have probably forgotten what children were like entirely. 

You were pulled from your thoughts by the affectionate paw that settled on your shoulder. You tensed. 

Toriel shot the both of you a meaningful look, "Y/n, Sans, I very much appreciate the two of you looking after Chara and Frisk for the afternoon. The two have been very eager to go, I've simply been so very busy as of late."

From beside you, Classic shrugged, while you in the meantime silently willed that Toriel would retract her paw from where it was placed on your shoulder. "No prob' Tori- anytime," he grinned.

It seemed the gods were on your side, as your prayers were answered as her paw slipped from her shoulder and back to its place clasped with her other paw in front of her.   
You instantly relaxed, doing your best to subtly shuffle further away just in case she got any ideas of repeating that same offense. Neither seemed to notice, both caught up talking to each other. 

Toriel grinned, "Yes, well, I knew I could count on you. Now, tell me Sans, how have you and..." Toriel shifted to spare you a glance, "Y/n, been?"

You furrowed your eyebrows at the strangely worded question. You had a feeling you were missing part of that conversation.

Classic seemed to tense at the question, his sockets flickering over at you before just as quickly diverting back to Toriel. You stared over at him questioningly. "Ah. Fine. I think," he sweated.

You quirked an eyebrow over at both of them, but otherwise didn't say anything. 

"Well, I am glad to hear that," she smiled warmly, "Now, I must be getting those two home," She gestured over at Frisk and Chara who were waiting in the car and violently consuming the treats in their possession. 

"Heh, yeah. Wouldn't want to hold everyone up," Classic nodded. 

The rest of you piled in the car, Classic in-between both Chara and Frisk and you taking the passengers seat. Admittedly you were a little surprised by Classic's courtesy both on the way here and on the way home. He didn't need to be asked to sit in the back, instead he simply took the initiative, leaving the passenger seat for you. He hadn't said anything about it at the time, and he didn't say anything about it now, so you didn't either. Admittedly, your thoughts were still on the conversation you had just had with him, you weren't talkative with the group around you in the first place, but the trip back to Classic's house consisted of you being zoned out the entire way, merely staring blankly out the window, noting the streets that looked familiar and the ones that didn't. 

Toriel and her children gave you guys a short and simple goodbye as both you and Classic hopped out of the car upon arriving back at Classic's house. Hesitantly, you have them a simple wave, in which both Frisk and Chara seemed to perk up at. Awkwardly, you dropped your hand again, tucking it away in your pockets as you watched Toriel pull out of the driveway and out of sight.   
By now the sun had fallen behind the mountains encircling Ebott City, the last few rays of orange and gold almost completely faded from the dark hues of the night. 

For a moment, you found yourself stuck to the spot out on the driveway, eyes glued to the sky. Little lights were sprinkled across the seas of black, and never failed to captivate you. The moment only was a few seconds long, as you had to go back inside and share the good news with Sans and Papyrus, but you nearly jumped as you found Classic still beside you, gaze resting on your expression. 

You paused, wide eyed as you now faced him. Shadows enveloped him in the dark, but the mixture of the glow from inside the house and the starchness of his bones made him easy to see amongst it. You had completely forgotten he was there, having figured he would have simply just gone back inside. You were use to this particular skeleton going out of his way to avoid you, however, tonight it seemed the opposite. 

A moment longer did Classic simply meet your gaze, his own hands tucked away in the pockets of his signature blue hoodie.

He huffed, "...Heh." And just liked that, he turned on his heel and shuffled back inside, wordlessly. 

You stood on your own for just a moment, silently watching him leave before he escaped inside, out of your sight.   
You still weren't completely sure of what to make of the way he was acting today, but squeezing your eyes shut, all you could do was hope everything was going to turn out okay.  
Remaining like that for another minute, you finally allowed the sigh that had built in your chest to tumble past your lips, your eyes once again flickering open. 

For now, everything else didn't matter. Right now, you just needed to go see Sans and Papyrus. 

With one last glance up at the sky, you wandered back inside, making sure to close the door behind you. It was a lot warmer inside then outside. It was only then did you realise just how cold you were. Slightly surprised, you continued down the entry hallway and began navigating the house to head up a level where you had no doubt Sans and Papyrus was waiting, that was if Papyrus was back from trick or treating yet. 

Your silent question was answered as your path was interrupted by Blueberry. You halted in your path, running your eyes over his wide grin. 

"Heya," you greeted.

"Human! I Have Returned From 'Trick Or Treating'- And ItWasAmazing!!!" Suddenly a large bag was being held up in the air, "Mweheheh! Look At All Of What I Have Gathered! Of Course It Was Hardly A Challenge For Someone Such As Myself, Although I Do Have Your Mentoring To Be Thankful For!"

You quirked an eyebrow at him. Mentoring? You did hardly anything, other then go Halloween shopping with him and teach him how to carve pumpkins. "Uh...sure?"

The grin on his teeth tugged wider, his jaw opening to speak again, only to be cut off when Creampuff suddenly joined the two of you.

He perked as he laid eyes on you, "Oh! Human!" He beamed, raising his bag of treats upwards towards you, "Would You Like Some?" 

You paused, staring up at Creampuff with wide eyes. He was offering you food? And not just household food- food that he was obligated to share, but _his_ food?  
A moment of silence and Creampuff's grin faltered, as he dropped the bag back to his side. "Oh. You Don't Have To Have Any If You Wouldn-"

"-no," you cut him off, shaking your head. "I want some," you outstretched for the bag, noting how Creampuff seemed to straighten, his grin returning full force as he held the bag out to you again. 

"You Can Have Some Of Mine Too If You Would Like!" Blue suddenly exclaimed from beside Creampuff. You glanced over at Blue as you withdrew your hand from Creampuff's bag with a handful of lollies, and nodded.

"....Thanks," you addressed the both of them. 

They both seemed utterly unfazed, merely smiling, not even conscious enough to glance down at your hands to see how much you'd taken, as if they didn't mind how much you took anyway.   
You felt a bubbled of appreciation swell in your chest, a small grin daring to curl at your lips. 

"Will You Join Us In The Lounge Room For Movie's Tonight?" Blueberry suddenly asked, throwing a few skittles behind his teeth, and inspecting the packaging in his hands. He glanced back up, grinning boldly, "I'd Like To Have You There."

Creampuff nodded eagerly, "As Would I."

Your eyes darted between the both of them. It felt strange the way they spoke with you. As if the three of you were good friends.   
You shook your head, "Nah, sorry." You had plans with Sans and Papyrus.

Creampuff seemed to deflate as Blueberry pouted, but they nodded their heads stiffly and bounced back. 

"Maybe Next Time Then?!" Creampuff questioned, Blueberry humming in agreement. The two glanced over at you in anticipation.

You shrunk a little under their hopeful gazes and shrugged, sheepishly glancing away from the two of them. "Yeah.. maybe."

The two seemed to accept that answer, cheering. The two bid you goodbye before running off, but just as Blueberry disappeared with Creampuff hot on his trails, the taller of the two paused at the doorway. You quirked an eyebrow as Creampuff twisted around, his sockets softening as they found you, which sent a wave of surprise rippling through you.

"I Hope You Have A Good Night, Human," he smiled fondly, taking in your expression for a moment before swiftly spinning on his heel and disappearing into the next room.

You remained still. Simply lost in your own thoughts for a moment, still glancing over at the empty doorway where Creampuff once stood.   
Shaking your head, you continued down the hallway upstairs. 

You were actually feeling a little sluggish after all of the events of the day, however it wasn't over just yet. The thought brought more energy back to your step. With the chaotic nature of the household and happenings of life, you felt as if you hadn't been able to spend as much time with your boys as you would have liked. However you weren't going to pass on the opportunity to spend Sans' and Papyrus' first halloween with them. 

Your fist rattled on Papyrus' door. Before you got the opportunity to open the door yourself and slip through, it was thrown upon, where an eagerly awaiting Papyrus stood, with Sans lazily sitting on the bed, putting the effort in to open his one good socket to glance over at you, his eternal grin widening at the edges. 

"Ah Y/n," Papyrus greeted pleasantly, holding the door open for you as you wandered inside, being sure to close it behind you. "How Was Trick Or Treating?" He hummed, spinning around to face the two of you, as you went and sat next to Sans, snug side to side. 

You nodded as Sans shifted, pulling a hand from his pocket to pull you closer until your side was flush into the side of his jacket, both his sockets still closed. "Alright," Your eyes followed Papyrus as he went over and pickup a pillowcase, filled with sweet confectioneries you were assuming, "Whata bout you?"

Papyrus grinned, outstretching his arm to hand you the pillowcase, in which you grinned, gratefully accepting it and dropping it your lap to inspect the contents.   
"Wonderful! I Will Wait Eagerly Until Next Year, Then Hopefully You Two Will Decide To Come With Me," he shot the two of you a pointed look. You grinned, shrugging.

"Yeah, sorry about that Paps'. We still get the rest of the night together though," Sans remained quiet beside you, eyes closed in mock sleep, breathing deeply, but listening nonetheless as you shuffled through the options of lollies, grinning as you pulled out a few chocolates, you threw one behind your teeth and hummed to yourself, before outstretching an arm and offering one to Papyrus, who gratefully accepted. You glanced over at Sans and reached over to press one at his teeth. He didn't even bother to open his eyes, only opening his jaw to allow you to feed him, grunting a thanks. You grinned. 

Propping his hands at his side, Papyrus nodded. "Yes Well, I Look Forward To The Rest Of The Night," he smiled, "Just Let Me Know When You Are Ready, Then We Will Get Going."

You nodded, a large, toothy grin spreading across your lips. As if sensing the sudden excitement surfacing beneath your skin, Sans' eye's lazily pried open to glance over at you curiously. "Yeah, but before that," you grinned devilishly, "I have good news."

Papyrus' rose his bone-brows at you curiously, "Go On Then," he smiled gently. 

"I had a talk with Classic," Sans tensed from beside you. Papyrus' sockets, though slightly, went wider. 

"Did something happen?" Sans was suddenly glowering from beside you, you glanced over at him, meeting his sockets and grinning at the concern twisted across his skull. 

You shook your head, "Nah. Well, yeah- But it was a good thing," Sans, hesitantly, relaxed. "He said that we don't have to worry about the whole supervision thing anymore."

You glanced over at Papyrus, who's sockets shot open in interest. 

"We can go out wherever we want, whenever we want," Your grin widened as you found yourself subconsciously leaning forward in your spot. 

Papyrus gasped, his crooked smile stretching impossibly wide. Swiftly he approached you, only needing to use a single knee to crawl across his bed to envelop you in an embrace, pulling you into his chest. 

"That Is Amazing News Y/n!" He exclaimed, pulling away from the hug, his hands still lingering on your shoulders as he look down at you. "It Seems Today Is Truly A Good One."

You nodded, a feeling like overwhelming happiness twisting in your chest at Papyrus' excitement. "Yup," you confirmed, "So we can go do whatever we want," you smiled, feeling Sans' arm slip around your waist to tug you back into his side once Papyrus slipped away to go stand back up.   
You silently huffed a laugh at Sans' antics, relaxing into his side at the warm feeling of the plush of his jacket. 

"Oh Good! Where Shall We Go?"

You shrugged. "Anywhere you wanna go Paps," you grinned, "Though i don't think much will be open right now."

Papyrus nodded, pinching his chin between two fingers and humming, "That's Alright," a smile curled at his teeth, "We Can Continue Trick Or Treating For Now, We Can Always Do Something Else Another Time!"

You nodded, heart swelling with affection as Papyrus beamed. 

"Heh yeah bro," Sans grinned from beside you. "...You come up with the best ideas..."

Papyrus perked up at the compliment. "Why Of Course Brother!" He cheered, "Somebody Has To Pick Up Your Slack," he mused. 

Sans sheepishly glanced away from Papyrus' gaze, chuckling lowly to himself as you snorted at the remark. 

Papyrus coughed into his fist, clearing his throat, "Well, If You Are Ready Y/n..."

You nodded.

Papyrus perked, grinning. "Very Well! We Will Not Waste Any Time!"

The night with Papyrus and Sans was an exhilarating and upbeat one. The three of you did manage to knock at a few doors, but you mostly scattered off before anyone could answer, Sans' grinning widely as Papyrus huffed, rolling his eyelighs with a small smile twitching at his teeth as the three of you hid in the bushes, watching people answering their doors to no-one.   
It started out as innocent and childish pranks and jokes, and quickly warped into out-right terrorising the neighbourhood. Whether that be hiding in the darkness and cornering some ballsy teen with Sans by your side, having Sans shortcut the two of you small distances to appear right behind people, or simply stalking behind a group of teens to see how long they'd last before they got too scared and tried calling the police, either way, the people wandering the street here would not be sleeping easy tonight. 

You could tell Papyrus felt a little guilty, but with a bit of reassuring from you and Sans that it was all harmless fun, the topic was quickly forgotten. 

The three of you ended up returning home with an even larger haul of lollies and sweets, opting to all shack up in Papyrus' room for the night and snack on the rewards of the night, watching your own movies on whatever played on the TV. 

It had been a long day and thought try as you might, you found it especially difficult to keep your eyes open.

You fell asleep smiling that night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Years everyone!!
> 
> Once again, i'm so sorry for taking so long to update, but i'm working on the next chapter as i speak i promise!
> 
> Hope all of you had an awesome Christmas and New Years! I didn't really go anywhere this holidays, what about you guys?
> 
> Also, what do you guys think about Sans finding about reader and Muffet?  
> Should be interesting to say the least.
> 
> Muffet's death is approaching 


	41. SHIFT 1

"Are you hungover?"

Mutt quirked a bonebrow, "Morning to you too, kitty," he grumbled.

You narrowed your eyes. Still with that nickname? Opting to ignore it, you rolled your eyes at 'Puppy's' raspy chuckle, obviously amused by your reaction whether you chose to retaliate or not. As Mutt shuffled past you to flick on the electric kettle, you scrunched your nose at the overpowering scent of alcohol hanging off of him. Somebody obviously got carried away the night before. 

"Wanna coffee?" Your eyes darted over to Mutt's from your spot leaning against the kitchen counter. You shrugged, not one to refuse most things of an edible kind, despite the surprising nature of his offer.

"Sure."

Lazily nodding, he shuffled around to pull out two mugs from the cupboard, your eyes following his back as he tiredly moped from one end of the room to the other. "How'd you like yours?" He drawled, his orange pinpricks rolling across the room until they found yours.

"Two sugars, lots of milk," you hummed simply, "....Thanks."

Mutt's face scrunched in distaste, "Gross."

You near barked a laugh at the remark, "If you haven't noticed, i'm close friends with extra-calories."

Mutt fell silent at that remark as he reached for the kettle to pour the boiling water into the cups. You ran your fingers through you hair as you also joined the silence, unbothered with his reaction. Instead you allowed your thoughts to wander to tonight. It was Monday morning, and today you started your first shift. Sure, you'd practically worked your whole life, you never exactly had the opportunity to laze around and do nothing (until this universe, of course), but this was your first time doing formal work, under an actual contract with a legit paycheck. The faint anxiety swelling in your stomach only caused your heart to pick up pace as suppressed panic began to form at the feeling. With a hardened expression you tried desperately to smother out the feelings before they morphed into something ugly. 

"You know, you don't really talk much about what happened back in your underground."

Eyes locking with Mutt's, your shoulders slumped, relieved for the distraction. Though this wasn't the greatest distraction either. 

"You don't either," you hummed, tentatively taking the offered mug of coffee from him to cradle in front of you until you felt it had reached an appropriate drinking temperature. 

Mutt smirked, "Fair point." 

You lifted the mug to carefully sip at the coffee, scrunching your nose as the bite of the hot liquid pinched at your tongue. You brought it back down to casually rest it in front of you. Eyeing Mutt, you continued, "So your point is?"

Mutt shrugged, twisting to lean against the counter beside you, also bringing the mug to his teeth, only to drink the mostly black coffee without a problem. "So i heard Classic has ungrounded you three," he hummed, not bothering to glance your way, with one hand nonchalantly shoved away in his hoodie's pocket.

You side glanced over at him, "Did he go out of his way to let everyone know or are you just special?"

Smirking, he huffed a laugh, taking another sip of his coffee, lazily blinking away the sleep from his sockets, despite it being near midday. " 'm special, obviously," he rolled his eyelights. 

You quirked a brow over at the skeleton, "Must be nice being Classic's favourite," you mused, "Any perks that come with that position? Other than being the first to know everyone's business."

" 'course," His teeth stretched into an amused grin as he leaned in towards you, "You're currently looking at Classic's certified teacher's pet, careful now, i might just dob you in for all your dirty deeds." 

Snorting, you challenged his gesture by leaning forward as well, "Certified? You take a class for that?"

Relaxing, Mutt leaned back, slumping against the cupboard, "Nah, it's second nature," he drawled jokingly, "They don't call me Mutt for nothing." For some reason, that last line striked you as a bit personal.

You whistled, "Well anyway, thats a pretty tempting position you have there puppy," your grin grew at his narrowed sockets, "Gotta be careful, i might just challenge you for the spot."

Lazily rolling his eyes, his head drooped to side glance over at you as he drank from his coffee. "Challenge me?" He smirked, "That'd be cute to watch."

You chose to ignore the comment, instead humming suspiciously at his seemingly foreign good mood. Throwing back another sip of your coffee, letting the warm mug rest in-between your palms. 

"You know, i think i prefer hungover you over regular you," you remarked as you turned around to face your company, throwing back the rest of the coffee in your mug. 

Mutt snorted, the sudden jolt causing his coffee to splash up into his sockets.

Choking, you nearly snorted out your own coffee as the lights in his sockets disappeared, silently he stared blankly across the room, resigning himself to the humiliation he had just fell victim for. 

Cackling, you tried desperately to swallow the rising cough swelling in your throat from the coffee. Greedily sucking in air, you manage to spare yourself the embarrassment, a shit eating grin the only remaining evidence of your outburst, as you watched the brown liquid drip from his sockets and stain the pearly white of his skull. 

Shaking your head, now in a surprisingly good mood considering who your company was, you pushed yourself away from the counter, reaching towards Mutt to grab his now pretty much empty mug, not missing the way he tensed as your arm brushed against his hoodie. Unfazed, you sauntered over to the sink, inspecting both mugs to ensure they both were empty before resting them in the sink. 

You spun around with a grin on your lips, a joke ready to tumble from your lips only to find the kitchen empty. You paused, taking a retake before piercing your lips, only for your smirk to no sooner return to your lips. He can run from you, but he can't run away from the inevitable reminders of his humiliation.

Shoving your own hands into your pockets you strolled out of the kitchen. There wasn't exactly much for you to do except wait until tonight, so you opted to just hang in your room until then. Laxly you walked back to your room, pondering what you should do to distract yourself from boredom as you reached the top of the stairs of the second storey. The sweet taste of your coffee sat on your tongue as you walked, and you unconsciously swallowed away the flavour, igniting the phantom hunger in your stomach. You paused, sighing as you spun around to go grab yourself a snack. Once the hunger starts, it doesn't stop until its been sated (which, ironically, never really was, it simply became more noticeable at times). 

Jolting, your head whipped in the direction of the door a couple rooms down from where you stood, where a loud crash had emerged from. Curiously, you peered over to the blue painted door, spinning on your heels to walk back the way you came to cautiously pause in front of the room.   
Blueberry's room, you hummed to yourself, leaning forward to rest your ear against the wood to hear inside. You weren't all too concerned , Blueberry and the like should honestly be entitled to their own damage control team, ut more often then not they were completely fine. However you found yourself racking your fist against the door to check up on him anyway. 

A second later then what you would have thought for someone of his energy to answer, the door creaked open, a blue dusted skull peering out into the hallway, blue lights sheepishly meeting your neutral gaze. You quirked a brow at Blue as he hesitantly pulled the door open further. "Oh! Hello There Y/n!" He grinned, gaze darting away from yours as he shifted weight from foot to foot in front of you.

Tilting your head, you peered into his room to find it a mess, a strange phenomenon for a skeleton such as himself. Eyes slowly returning to Blue's, he nervously chuckled as you locked gazes.

".....what happened?"

Blue's jaw opened, only to lock shut again, before a whine escaped his teeth. The blue painted across his cheeks darkened as he wrung his gloved hands. "I Uh.... Attempted To Quite Bravely Retrieve Something.... However I Believe I... Overestimated The Structural Soundness Of My Shelf...."

You quirked a brow, before barking a laugh. Reaching over Blue, you push the door open the rest of the way until it hit the wall to waltz inside, quite confident in the fact that Blueberry didn't mind. Eyeing the damaged you heard the door close behind you as you rolled your eyes across the room. The shelf that, you figured used to be screwed high up on the wall was now in three pieces across the ground, laying amongst the shattered white porcelain of what you figured to be a piggy bank, an action figure or two, and a ridiculous amount of lollies and other confectioneries. 

Silently, you twisted to glance back over at Blue, who looked just as sheepish. "...What were you trying to do?" You questioned, swallowing the amused grin twitching at your lips.

The blush yet again darkened as he glanced around the room, as if contemplating whether or not to tell you. Finally, he sighed, "Promise You Won't Tell Papy?" 

You quirked a brow. What about Papyrus?- Oh. You shrugged. "...We'll see."

Blueberry met your gaze, before slumping his shoulders, sighing, "Very Well, You See Human, " He glanced over to the mess, "I Was Trying To Retrieve My Winnings From Halloween, However It Appears They Were....Just A Bit Too High To Reach."

You hummed at the response, "Yeah? Why'd you put them so high up then?"

Blue's gaze fell from yours yet again as he kicked the floor, "...Papyrus Put Them There Because He Said I Get Too Hyperactive When I Eat That Much Sugar...."

You paused, before choking on your own laugh, causing his eyes to dart back up to yours as the blue on his skull deepened. 

He gaped over at you, "Human! This Isn't Funny!"

You dropped your head in your hands as you chuckled into your palms, practically feeling the embarrassment radiating off of him.

"That's all?" You mused, eyes glinting with amusement. You could hardly believe the skeleton before you. Wasn't he supposed to be the elder brother of the two anyway?

"Well I Just Couldn't Ask Anyone! Papyrus Could Find Out!"

Amusement swelled in your chest as you shook your head at him, locking gazes. Relaxing, you took a step forward to close the wide distance between the two of you. "....Blue," You addressed him, mood light but seriousness in your tone, "Going behind your own brothers back?," you tsked, "That's naughty," you taunted, watching as the skeleton lit up further and shrunk into his bandanna. 

Before the skeleton could reply, you glanced over your shoulder to look at the mess, "Now, did ya need a hand cleaning this up?"

Blueberry, still slightly taken aback, face painted with blue fire, took a second to answer, before tentatively replying with widen sockets, "Really?"

You shrugged, "Sure.... But i want some."

Chuckling, Blueberry nodded. "Why Of Course! What Better Then Eating Delicious Treats Then Eating Delicious Treats With A Friend!" He grinned, marching over to the mess to beginning collecting the spilled lollies.

You momentarily paused at his choice word for you, before forcing yourself to move on, spinning around to help with the mess. Picking up and fixing Blueberry's little accident, you found yourself quite relaxed. Though for the half an hour or so you found yourself in Blueberries presence, cleaning the mess and sharing lollies as you listen to him rant you found yourself mostly simply staring at him. It was funny how comfortable you'd become here, even if things were still tense between certain household members. 

Things had been pleasant not only for you but for Sans and Papyrus lately, you couldn't help but be anxious that your luck would take a dive. You just hoped tonight went well.

_____________________________________

Not given much of a choice, Papyrus and Sans insisted coming with you for your first shift. You'd argued that they needed to sleep, only for Papyrus to comment that in a bed or elsewhere, Sans would have no problem sleeping. Only for Sans to make some cheesy comment about how the only place he wanted to sleep was with you. You never really took him as the flirty type, but you guess with the freedom of the surface he was learning to embrace his inner Casanova. Not that you minded, it was cute, actually. 

Standing outside of the store, Papyrus supportingly grinned down at you, affectionately ruffling your hair, while Sans glared at the store, his bloated red eyelight sharpening as he eyed the lit up sign. He still wasn't all too pleased about you getting a job. Didn't like having you away for so long, interacting with people that couldn't be trusted, especially at night. 

You glanced over at him, gaining his attention in return as he shifted to meet your gaze, stiffening as his eyelight blurred around the edges as he stared at you. 

"....Tell me if your boss is a prick, yeah?" 

You snorted, before nodding. "You know usually i wouldn't care who you use to be your human toothpick, but i kind of need to keep him alive if i want to keep a job."

Sans' grin sharpened at the remark, "....We'll just get you a new job."

You quirked an eyebrow, "I don't think it's that easy to get a job here on the surface, Sans."

The skeleton in subject shrugged, "....I'm persuasive."

Snorting, you glanced up at Papyrus, who looked slightly amused at the exchange of banter between you two. You didn't doubt Sans for a second, you'd seen just how 'persuasive' the two brothers could be.

"While That's Quite Good," Papyrus suddenly hummed, "Don't Forget To Tell Us About Any... Unsavoury Customers Either."

You grinned, snorting at the brother's antics. "Sure thing." 

Papyrus smiled, pleased, petting your head yet again. "Good Good! Now That That's Sorted! I Believe It's Time We Enter." 

Your gaze shifted over to the glass automatic doors, before nodding firmly. With Sans and Papyrus by your side you felt confident, not that you couldn't be confident on your own, but they reassured your nerves. As you entered Sans' gaze remained on you, analysing you, judging your reactions. You knew exactly what he was doing, making sure you weren't uncomfortable. You remained hard-faced, knowing as soon as you showed any kind of discomfort Sans would be bailing you out of here no questions.   
Sans' protectiveness over you and his brother was both a blessing and a curse at times. 

You approached the counter, finding the familiar male from last week, Anthony, your boss. He visibly perked at your arrival. 

"Y/n! Oh good, you're here," He greeted, eyes momentarily flickering over to your company, as if to silently acknowledge their presence as well, which you were pleased with. "Come out back, i have a couple spare uniforms you can change into before i run you through everything."

Anthony's introduction was short and simple, but thorough at the same time. He explained that Sans and Papyrus were fine to stay out back for tonight, but you got the hint that he likely didn't want them sticking around every shift.  
The night shift wasn't too busy, which was a relief because you didn't think you could handle interacting with more then the five customers that came inside just yet. Anthony made sure to stay close by to give you a hand whenever serving someone, which was to some degree, comforting, despite how unnerving it was to constantly have your back turned to your new boss. Though you put your anxieties to a hold, sucking a breath in and allowing yourself to relax knowing Sans and Papyrus were just a shout away. 

You may have cringed when your finger accidentally brushed the hand of some guy buying late night snacks, perhaps you stared down some of the customers a little intently, but otherwise the night went smoothly. Papyrus especially made sure to come out as often as possible to give you encouragements, which made your heart squeeze happily. 

You know that in the middle of your shift was hardly the time for such thoughts and distractions, but you couldn't help it. Papyrus' happiness reminded you of something. You couldn't stop that drunken feeling as realisation washed over you. Things really were getting better. You couldn't help the stubborn grin on your lips that refused to go away. 

Things were finally getting better, and staying better. 

And nothing's going to get in the way of that...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, i know, holy shit. I updated. 
> 
> Hope you guys are all safe during everything going on. Things are pretty calm over here in Australia, schools restarting and stores are reopening but i know that's not the same for everywhere. 
> 
> To everyone still stuck in quarantine, hope you guys are keeping yourself busy and aren't going insane inside your own homes lmao :)


	42. LAUNDRY

"Hey, can i have that back?"

Slim paused, glancing down at your jumper pinched between his fingers, before shrugging. 

"10 G."

You paused, furrowing your brows. He wanted gold? Gold wasn't even a currency on the surface. "I- What? I don't have any G?"

Slim quirked a bonebrow, "Huh. Well i can't just give it to you for free," he hummed, turning to scoop up what you assumed to be both his and his brother's dirty laundry up without any real colour code to shove into the open washing machine. 

Taking a recap, you fell silent simply following the purple clad skeleton, with your jumper thrown over his shoulder. "???W- I, It's mine???"

"Eh, i don't see your name on it?"

"..."

You deadpanned, glancing back at the other washing machine (one of many in the obnoxiously large laundry room) you were using, filled with both yours, Sans and Papyrus' clothing, nearly fully loaded with everything except your jumper. 

"Wait no, seriously. c'mon," you huffed, patience waning.

Slim smirked as he pushed shut the machine door, before stretching back up to his full height and glancing over at you."Nyeheh, you know what, i like you," he chuckled, in which you couldn't help but squint suspiciously at, "I'll give it to ya for just 5G."

You bit your tongue.

"I don't have any G!!!"

Slim grinned widely, shrugging. "Welp. That's my final offer. 5G or nothing."

You were speechless. Never had you been scammed over in such a way as you were being right now. How the hell were you going to get your jumper back? You'd fight him for it but things had been going too well just for you to ruin it now. You shot the monster a glare, exasperated. 

Slim chuckled, seemingly unfazed. "What's with that look? A monster has to make a living you know."

You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose, before glancing back up to inspect your jumper resting over his shoulder. You thought about simply snatching it back, but the guy was too perceptive for his own good, raising a hand to protectively rest on top of it. You narrowed your gaze, glaring at the offending hand before your eyes flickered back over to his purple eyelights. 

You grit your teeth, wondering if this whole exchange was even really worth it. However, that wasn't just any jumper, that was the jumper Papyrus had made for you. You had to get it back, and away from his greedy phalanges. 

Stone faced, you met his gaze. You hated to do this, but it so far, was your best option. A silent sigh slipped past your lips as you crossed your arms, which only seemed to amuse the skeleton further, who shook in silent laughter. "Alright," you gritted, "What can i do to get it back?"

Slim opened his jaw, only for you to quickly cut him off, "- _other,_ then paying you."

His jaw clacked shut, and for a moment he seemed to thoughtfully ponder the question, before he merely shrugged. "Eh, can't think of anything else i want right now."

You deadpanned. You could feel the irritation bubbling in your chest, gaze momentarily flickering down to his exposed neck. What was it with this particular pair of brothers that made you so inclined to want to take a bite out of them? "...Nothing?" You sighed, a headache already forming. If he didn't think of something (reasonable) sometime real soon, the whole 'no more fighting' thing was going straight out the window, _violently._

A smirk pulled at Slim's teeth, a smirk that you knew meant nothing good. Innocently, his gaze shifted away from yours, 'casually' inspecting the wall beside you. "Well, i could give it back to you now, but you'd be indebted to me" his gaze shifted smugly back to yours.

...

......

You felt like the physical equivalent of a keyboard smash. 

Exasperated, you gaped for a short moment, before hiding your frustrations behind a cool demeanour, however it was too late. The skeleton had already seen your reaction, and was now bent over cackling. 

You narrowed your eyes, displeased. What was it with skeletons and favours? You hated it, you hated owing favours from people you didn't trust, but what you hated even more was that the guy didn't even know you, but he still knew how much you hated them before even saying anything. 

It took you a second, but a moment later your eyes widened in realisation. An evil grin curling at your lips, you didn't hesitate to strike, using his moment of weakness to your advantage as you swiftly snatched your jumper from his shoulder and violently shoved it into the washing machine. 

Slim stiffened, before gaping, obviously caught off guard. 

A smug grin sat at your lips as you slammed shut the washing machine door and set the machine on. With the expression of someone who's won, you glanced back at him, who now had a frown tugging at his teeth. You winked, "Shouldn't keep yourself so open like that, my jumper isn't the only thing i could have taken from you." One last time you allowed your eyes to drop to the exposed part of his shoulder, smirking, before spinning and shuffling out the door. 

You could feel his glare drilling into your back as you stepped past the doorway and out of sight, but you refused to spare the skeleton so much as a glance back. With the satisfaction of getting the upper hand of the previous confrontation, you walked with a certain smugness in your step, temporarily put in a good mood. 

It was now late afternoon, maybe four or five, and dinner would be served in an hour or so (your stomach was all the more aware of that), but you were mostly awake, having only woken up a couple hours ago. You knew for a fact Sans was still asleep, and you didn't dare disturb him, knowing that the times he could truly peacefully sleep were few and far in between. Papyrus, had however gotten up slightly earlier then you (likely on purpose so as to prevent being scolded and being sent straight back to bed by yours truly), and his current where-a-bouts where unknown to you (likely, once again, to prevent you from sending him back to bed for a couple more hours of Z's). 

Admittedly, you slept more solidly alone last night then you have in a long time, you figured in a way, that this nightjob may help with more then just money. Tiring yourself to such an exhausted state that not even energy for any kind of nightmares to plague your sleep could bother you. It was a disturbing, heavy type of sleep, but comparably better then the alternative. 

Two hands came to steady you at the sides of your shoulders. Jolting, you figured you must be not as awake as you'd previously thought. Glancing up, you met Green's pleasant but curious gaze. 

"Now, Y/n, You Must Be More Aware Of Your Surroundings," the impeccably dressed skeleton scolded lightly, his eyelights flickering over your face before his gentle yet firm grasp at your arms dropped to cusp his hands behind his back. 

You paused, the previous few moments finally catching up. Nodding, you straightened, "Yeah uh, thanks. Was just zoned out, that's all."

Green hummed, seemingly accepting your answer, gaze momentarily shifting to glance back down the otherwise empty hallway. "I See. Pardon The Sudden Change Of Topic, But You Are Not Busy, Are You?"

Furrowing your brows, you twisted to glance back over your shoulder curiously, only to find nothing. Unsure where this was going you turned back around to meet Green's now amused gaze. "Uh....no?"

The pleasant grin on his teeth widened, "Then Perhaps You Would Join My Brother and Myself In The Sunroom?" 

Caught off guard, you bit your tongue. Out of everybody, Green and G seemingly had been the ones to warm up to you and your skeletons the quickest. Perhaps it was because they were the newer ones, perhaps it was because you'd been the one to introduce them to the stars. Or maybe they were just genuinely nice. You didn't know what it was, but their warmness was both alluring and nerve wrecking. You were slow to trust such openness. 

In the end, it was the fact you were in the presence of a (non-swapped) Papyrus that got you to agree. You reminded yourself of all the welcomeness the two had already shown you, and put your doubts aside. "...Sure." Green bobbed his head happily, moving to instead regrasp his hands in front of him instead of behind his back. "But uh, why?"

At this Green paused, only for his smile to soften as he met your eyes. "Is It Too Much To Ask To Simply Wish To Get To Know A Friend Better?"

Goddamn it. These skeletons were going to be the death of you. First skeletons asking for favours, now skeletons calling you their friend, what next? A sigh slipped past your lips as you relented, deciding that for once, you would allow yourself to not look too far into his words. "Alright, sounds....fun?" 

Green grinned, spinning on his heel so his back faced the wall, using an arm to gesture forward, allowing you to walk first. You eyed his gesture curiously, before snorting and walking forward, allowing Green to take your side once having done so. 

The sunroom was a short walk from where in the hallway the two of you had run into each other, and for the majority of it you two walked in silence. Right until the end of course, where you curiously peered up at the ginormous skeleton and pierced your lips.

"Y'know, sometimes i wonder whether you guys are from the same century as the rest of us," you hummed, pleased when you heard the surprised chortled from the skeleton by your side. 

As the two of you paused at the doorless doorway of the sunroom, you spotted G laxly resting against the armrest of one of the couches, gazing outside, seemingly in deep thought. "Ah, Is It Really So Old Fashioned To Merely Have A Bit Of Chivalry?"

You twisted your head only to give Green the most serious expression you could muster, "Yes?"

This time Green wasn't the only one to chuckle, G's own deep rumble of amusement catching your attention as you redirected your gaze over to the skeleton clad in his signature black leather jacket. "You calling us old, or something?" He mused a moment later, his golden eyelights piercing you with a hidden intensity even from across the room.

You shrugged, smirking, "You don't need to be reminded to know the truth." 

Shaking his head in amusement, Green took the initiative to move further into the room, towards his brother, which then encouraged you to repeat the same. Green, with grace in each movement, took a seat on the mini-couch beside the one his brother was on, while you somewhat awkwardly stood in front of the two. 

G snorted, picking up and throwing his legs off the other end of the couch he was laying on, sitting upright and patting the spot beside him. "No need to be shy now, angel," he smirked.

You paused to level the skeleton with an unimpressed glare, in which only encouraged the smirk at his teeth to twitch wider. Nonetheless, you chose to accept his invitation, somewhat uncomfortable as you sat in-between the two brothers, well aware of their gazes resting on you. 

You fell silent, but when their gazes didn't waver it was obvious it was up to you to take the initiative of starting a conversation. "So uh, you two seem awfully fond of this room," you noted, somewhat unsurely after a pause of silence. 

Glancing over, Green regarded you fondly, before humming. "A Good Observation," he pointed out, "I Suppose For Me Personally, It Is Simply More Peaceful. We Are Not The Most Rowdy Of Our Counterparts. I Am Sure My Brother Can Relate, To Some Degree," he gestured over to his brother on the other side of you, adverting your attention from him.

G, hands tucked away in his pockets as he laxly rested back against the couch, shrugged. "Don't mind a bit of peace an' quiet from time to time" he hummed, "Don't tell no-one that though, takes away from my suave reputation," he winked.

You merely grinned in response. "I woulda thought it'd do the opposite, only adds to the mystery, i guess."

G's smirk twisted wider at his teeth, and it was then you realised you'd walked straight into that one. "Daw," he rumbled, leaning in closer to you teasingly, "You think i'm mysterious?" His eyelights seemed to sharpen as they locked with yours, "You know, if you're tempted enough, i could always show you a couple of those secrets i've got locked away..."

It was the somewhat disappointed sigh from your other side that served as your saving grace. 

"Brother, Must You Flirt With Every Beautiful Lady You Come Across?"

You grinned smugly to sharply reply to G's own flirtatious words, only to choke -Beautiful?!

Your eyes snapped back over to G's as he picked back up, "If only to get to see her cute face scrunch up like that, then i don't think i have it in me to stop."

You gaped at the boldness of the two, utterly speechless. What had you gotten yourself into?

A brief moment of realisation sent a scowl settling across your lips. You'd been lured into the Casanova's den and had now been taken victim- and by Green no less! It took you a second to piece together that despite the somewhat reserved nature Green possessed, he was just as much of a flirt as his brother.

You grumbled displeased to yourself.

You think you've just been played. 

Rolling your eyes, you sunk into the cushions of the mini-couch, "With all that flirting one would think you two wouldn't be single, maybe you two aren't as smooth as you think you are."

The two brothers paused, peering over to you as if to regard you with mild surprise. A smirk twisted on your lips, under the impression that perhaps that was a win for you. 

However a smirk set alight on G's teeth with renewed vigour put out that idea real quick. "Heheh, questioning our own charisma now, y/n? Awful bold of you," he drawled, he pushed himself to sit upright in his seat and twist in your direction to peer at you with lidded eyes, "Well, i can hardly allow you to simply go on underestimating us now darl', i already explained to you the whole rep thing with you, didn't i?"

You paused, only to to be cut off before you could reply by an affirmative hum on your other side. "Why, I Agree Sans," Green grinned pleasantly, eyelights dropping from G's to bore into your own, "Perhaps We Will Simply Have To Show Y/n Here How A Lady Should Be Wowed." 

You continued to gape. They weren't actually...serious....right?

The perhaps concerning intentions hidden in G's golden eyes told you otherwise. "So, what do you say Angel, we'll say, give it a month, and if we can't take a kiss from you, then i suppose you'll be right. But if we do..." G's eyes lidded further as he leaned closer into you, forcing you to lean back, only to realise you'd once again walked into another trap, aka, Green's arms that ever so coincidentally were resting either side of you from where he was sitting on the armless minicouch beside you. "Well then, i suppose you'd just have to admit to yourself that we're smoother then you'd like to admit," he purred. 

You gulped, the faint warmth from Green's arms just barely brushing up against either side of your arms and the intense battle of gazes between you and G forcing your pulse to pick up its pace.

"......And what if i decide to take something from you?"

G faltered, skull tilting in peaked curiosity, "and what would that be?"

It only took a single falter in his dominating composure to prey on his moment of vulnerability. With renewed predatory confidence you pushed yourself forward, the feeling of Green's own curious gaze resting on the side of your face intensifying. "You earn a kiss from me, you win," you hummed, well aware that the moment the two brothers agreed you'd have already won, "But if i can take a bite from either of you, then i win, and you two will both agree to stop messing around with me."

Green looked somewhat taken aback, "A Bite? My Y/n, I...Wouldn't Have Taken You For The Type," he hummed somewhat thoughtfully.

"Heh, well, Angel, that's a little Kinky."

With your own sharp grin your eyes grasped G's, a low chuckled slipping past your lips at the comment. Your conscious mind refused to acknowledge it, but the familiar clawing sensation in your stomach was ever present. "Trust me, it'll be anything but."

G paused to gauge your reaction. Though caught offguard, he seemed otherwise not putoff at all, his smirk hiding anything that could give away anything but his usual cool demeanour still confidently in place. "I guess you got yourself a deal then, Angel."

Your grinned widened into something devilish.

You knew it wasn't good for you, but you couldn't help the anticipation that twitched at the ends of your fingers and raced through your veins.   
The guilt of killing another was still something that kept you awake at night, but that temptation was something deeper than simply mind, it was a craving that your very body yearned for, one that you knew your boys felt all too well. 

.....It was just a bite, right?

You could taste the dust already. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know about you but....
> 
> It seems like MC has been getting even hungrier lately.... 
> 
> I wonder how long it'll take before MC gives in completely 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Sleep and Consume](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21381466) by [From_The_Void_Itself](https://archiveofourown.org/users/From_The_Void_Itself/pseuds/From_The_Void_Itself)
  * [Kick Em To The Curve](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24257164) by [Tia_Bites](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tia_Bites/pseuds/Tia_Bites)
  * [I'm the Bad Guy](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24848347) by [RandomlySane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandomlySane/pseuds/RandomlySane)




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